AN EXPEDITION WITH A HEART
That thing we most value in our lives, we helplessly shove them aside for other priorities. Our hobbies, interests, passions, the little things...all seem invisible like speck of dust. We have forgotten to live life, leave alone appreciating it. But ask the ones who do: The sheer satisfaction they achieve by doing what they love, by overcoming the resistance of mundane life surrounded by mediocre thinkers, and the drive within themselves that propels them forward in the path of progress is what makes them a breed apart.
Meet the adventurous, affectionate yet ambitious Archana. A woman of many hats – sculptor, wall artist, bespoke carpenter, interior decorator and an enthusiastic biker. With a Master of Visual Arts from Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Archana teaches art to a keen bunch of students at Mallya Aditi international school in Bengaluru, besides juggling her creative career and her selfless desire to help the deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Because there’s a better way to describe Archana: She’s the first hearing-and-speech challenged female motorcycle traveller in the world. With over 20,000 kms of motorcycle touring experience, she has ridden from Bengaluru all the way to Leh and back, covering 8,300 kms in a single shot during April-May 2018 along with her friend-cum-colleague Daniel Sundaram. The main purpose of this trip was to spread awareness about different forms of communication, non-verbal in particular. This led to Archana co-founding a company called Silent Expedition, laying emphasis on inspiring and building confidence to those with hearing disabilities to take up motorcycling or any other means to explore the world outside.
Ask her why, and pat comes the reply, “When I see normal people riding motorcycles or commuting with headphones on all the time, they’re still able to make it without having to hear the traffic sounds. If everyone else can, why can’t we??”. Well, at least her accomplishments on her Royal Enfield Thunderbird surely support her claim, with an east-to-west southern coastal ride to her credit as well, during December 2018.
Archana’s first love was a Yamaha RX-100, which got her to motorcycling almost 15 years ago. But now, she rides for a reason: Bring a paradigm shift in the Indian education system for the hearing impaired. And that is why in early 2020, she will be going on a mammoth 35000 km ride covering 33 countries including India, Southeast Asia, Mongolia, Russia and across Europe, with the finish line at Portugal. The objective of this ride is to understand how the universities, economy, the government and its people in these regions influence the deaf communities, and how she can use that collective data to bring about a transformation back in India. In that pursuit, Archana will be visiting close to 60-plus schools and institutions and will be interacting with teachers, sign interpreters, students and other support functions. This journey would be extremely challenging if attempted alone, and which is why her friend Abijit Somashekar – Founder, Motor Chronicles will be a key support in this initiative and will ride along with Archana, assisting in overall logistics and oral communication wherever necessary.
Also, Archana’s equally pressing need is to use this international platform to raise awareness about the many concerns India’s hearing-impaired people face vis-à-vis poor education facilities, access to normal life and the disrespect meted out to them. According to her, this would help increase the attention of the service organisations who can assist in generating funds for improving the education and economic upliftment of the deaf in India.
“My main aim is to drive home the point that deaf and hard-of-hearing children need to study exactly the way hearing children do – but in sign language”, asserts Archana. According to her, sign language is their best way to think and express themselves, which will enable them to learn and grow in equal competitiveness with the rest of the world.

Intereses

Cooking , hangout with buddies, traveling , swimming , badminton, long drive

Música, películas y libros

60s old songs English

Algo increíble que he hecho

On motorcycle at Khandurg la and Leh

Enseña, aprende, comparte

I will teach you to learn motorcycle with long trips , I will teach you art workshop by recycled art

Países que he visitado

Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, United States, Zimbabwe

Países en los que he vivido

India