Sunday, May 3, 2015

Tacoma: Motorcycle Women’s Wednesday Night Reception

June 17, 2015 at LeMay Marymount (LeMay Family Collection Foundation) in Tacoma,Washington.

I have been involved with only a tiny portion of the planning involved with Motorcycle Week at LeMay Marymount this year and I can already say it's gonna be a barn burner. One event I feel like I have to plug is the Motorcycle Women’s Wednesday Night Reception. The event will feature a number of women motorcyclists from the Pacific Northwest who have changed motorcycling over the course of their lives. This is the sort of event that might not appeal to some guys. If you are one of those guys I'd encourage you to consider it more carefully.

One of the woman in attendance will be Donna Walters. Flathead Rob and I had the privilege of chatting at length with Donna and her husband a few moths ago. She is nothing short of incredible.  

- Donna finished 2nd overall in the 1952 Queen City Mud Run(behind Red Farwell who finish 2nd in the Daytona 200 the same year). Donna also worked as motorcycle delivery rider for many years and toured West Coast and Baja in 1950. Donna is an incredible story teller and is remarkably humble. It was an honor getting to chat with her for an hour or so. Donna is only one of the attendees. 

The following are some of the others.

- Tammy Sessions, Bellevue – Desert racer, early AMA pro license, flat tracker
- Debbie Selden, Tacoma – At 17 years old took AMA to Supreme Court for denying her a pro license, AMA backed down
- Barbara Brooks, Tacoma – holds multiple land speed records at Bonneville
- Dawna Holloway, Seattle – 1999 World Superbike Sidecar Rookie of the Year, first ever all women’s sidecar team to compete at the Isle of Man TT in 2000

Comprehensive documentation on the amazing lives of the following motorcyclists will also be on display:

- Dorcas Sizer-dynamic event promoter for TMC, journalist, the woman behind the Women’s Auxillary of the TMC
- Evelyn Pugh-endurance rider in the 40s and 50s with TMC
- Gladys Dawson-went on a huge motorcycle tour of the U.S. and Mexico in the 1930s, built motorcycles, flew airplanes
- Buela Bennett-1920s champion endurance rider
- Olga Hartman-Washington State’s first female motorcyclist 1912 and first M/C officer in 1914 Olympia motorcycle club 

I hope to see you there!

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