ANISSA LAMARE - MOUNTAIN BIKER

Mountains are inspiring. They challenge us, test us. They bring out our core value of freedom. Limitless and boundless. Anissa Lamare found her freedom in the mountains. Found her fountain of youth.

Infatuated with cycling from a young age, Lamare roamed her neighborhood in Meghalaya carefree for hours. She skidded past people and pedaled her way into the open forests. The soil, trees, ferns, and chirping birds gave her a sense of freedom the city life could not. Her first race in the mountains changed everything.

The downhill race that starts at the top and ends at the bottom is practically a free fall. And that’s where Lamare finds her adrenaline rush. The sense of purpose comes from losing herself in speed. In the flash that dissolves her natural surroundings in a blur.

She is India’s only woman mountain biker and downhill racer. When she walks into competitions, she is surprised to see no other woman around. She races with men and that provides her with an extra challenge. She is constantly pushing herself to be a better and freer bike racer, participating in competitions in Nagaland, Guwahati, Bangalore, Pune, and all over India.

The mountains called out to her. And Anissa Lamare has been conquering them ever since.