01 / FILM00:47
India Book of Records
A moment of recognition from Divya’s journey.
A LIFE ON TWO WHEELS
850,000+kilometres ridden
12countries explored
25+years on the road
Explore the archive 01MEET THE IRON LADY
Hello there.
I’m Divya Sandhu.
THE IRON LADY OF INDIAN MOTORCYCLING
Rider. Instructor. Founder of D.I.W.A.
Divya Sandhu, known as the Iron Lady of Indian Motorcycling, is a national-level athlete, swimming and motorcycle coach also the founder of Divya International Women’s Academy.
Her story stretches across India and 12 countries, through years of independent travel, setbacks, recovery and a determination to help other women find their freedom.
She began teaching women to ride in 2005, initially without charging a fee. That personal commitment became D.I.W.A. She has also worked with JOIN TOGETHER, an NGO supporting children in slum communities.
Get to know Divya
WATCH THE JOURNEYThe road.
The road.
In motion.
Riding, learning and the moments along the way.
02 / FILM00:31
Inside D.I.W.A
Motorcycle practice on the training course.
03 / FILM00:22
Learning in motion
An evening motorcycle practice session.
04 / FILM00:02
A moment on the road
A short glimpse from the journey.
THE ROAD IS PART OF THE STORYExplore & travel
Explore & travel
with me.
From the first scooter ride to journeys beyond borders.
Follow the journeyEDUCATION & PURPOSEWhat did you study
M.A. IN HISTORY
What did you study
or pursue in life?
M.A. IN HISTORYDivya is a historian by education. Her riding experience spans India and 12 countries, built through an independent, self-funded journey.
She teaches women how to ride motorcycles and how to swim because both are part of her passion: riding offers freedom, swimming offers confidence, and teaching gives her purpose.
MotorcyclingSwimmingMentorship
02HER STORY
Major struggles
& turning points.
The moments that shaped Divya’s journey, drawn from her original story and the client archive.
The dream denied
She began learning Bharatnatyam at eight, but family circumstances drew her away from the stage.
The ignition point
She learned to ride a Bajaj Chetak by watching her father and uncle.
Into rebellion
A solo ride to Leh and Khardung La made the road her own stage.
Teaching freedom
She began teaching women to ride, quietly and without charging a rupee.
Riding with conviction
She rode to the Northeast, Sikkim, Nepal’s Upper Mustang and the Nepal–Tibet border without a coach or support crew.
The silence
Two serious accidents. Her original WordPress account describes 17 fractures and an 84-hour coma; the client’s later accident file gives event-specific details in the archive.
The return
After saving for it, she bought herself a Royal Enfield Classic 350 and rebuilt her strength through diet and training.
The broken return
She rode solo from Delhi to Goa for a motorcycle event and returned disappointed by promises from brand contacts that never became support.
The leap of faith
She left her job one day before India’s lockdown. Within two years she had no financial safety net or sponsor.
The mockery
A prominent person in the motorcycle world mocked her email and English when she asked for work.
Overqualified
She says she applied for work more than 1,000 times and was repeatedly told she was overqualified.
D.I.W.A grows
Free mentorship became a full academy for motorcycle, swimming and recovery training.
Another test
A further road accident fractured her left leg. The movement continued.
D.I.W.A · CONFIDENCE THROUGH PRACTICE03DIVYA INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ACADEMY
Dare. Inspire.
Win. Accelerate.
D.I.W.A brings Divya’s experience into training for first time riders, women building their independence and people returning after an accident.
010203
Inside the academy Motorcycle training
Build your foundation on two wheels.
Swimming instruction
Find confidence in the water.
Stunt & recovery programs
Explore focused training with Divya.
04FROM THE RIDE ARCHIVE
The rides.
The places. The memories.
2005The early miles
Punjab, Haryana & Jammu and Kashmir
2017Across the heartland
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Punjab
2020Following the horizon
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat & Goa
A record of the road.
Explore the annual mileage, motorcycles, routes, personal turning points and original documents shared by Divya.
Open the archiveHER STORY. HER RIDE. HER BOOK.Why not write
Why not write
a book solo?
2023 / THE TURNING POINT
NO TO DRUGS.Read the story behind the book
In her original account, Divya describes a five-day cause-based collaboration ride where she felt cornered and humiliated. She says the group left her behind three times, and that she reached the destination before them twice.
Returning home, she decided to set an example. She planned a ride with women and turned those experiences into a book about purpose, resilience and women supporting women.
The Golden Quadrilateral journey carried a clear message:
YES TO EDUCATION.NO TO DRUGS.Read the story behind the book
A JOURNEY IN PRINT
BY DIVYA SANDHU
BY DIVYA SANDHU05RIDING WITH A CAUSE
Riding Miles,
Igniting Minds.
6,000 kilometres.
One message worth carrying.
A ride along India’s Golden Quadrilateral became a book about a journey with purpose: Yes to education. No to drugs.
DelhiMumbaiChennaiKolkata
Discover the book Find it on Amazon THE BEGINNINGHow did this
2000 How did this
journey begin?
The stubborn beginning
As a teenager, Divya learned to ride the Bajaj Chetak by watching her father and uncle. Without formal training, that first ride became the start of a lifelong passion.
Raw machines, raw passion
Hero Honda CD100, TVS Suzuki Max 100, Yamaha RX100, Yamaha RD350 and Royal Enfield 350. Early motorcycles, kick starts and a determination to keep moving.
Teaching freedom
In 2005, younger girls began coming to her for riding lessons. She taught freely, without charging, laying the foundation for the academy that followed.
06THE MACHINES ALONG THE WAY
The motorcycles
along the way.
From the Bajaj Chetak to the Yamaha RX 135, Royal Enfield and beyond. More than 100 motorcycles have been part of Divya’s riding journey.
100+MOTORCYCLES RIDDEN
Meet the rider behind the machine 
MY PHILOSOPHY“I was denied the stage.
“I was denied the stage.
So I built a road.”
— DIVYA SANDHU
1,000+JOB APPLICATIONS
100+MOTORCYCLES RIDDEN
0SPONSORS IN HER ACCOUNT
Riding as a way to create her own identity and leave a lasting mark.
Teaching so that other women can feel capable, confident and independent.
Building D.I.W.A to give the next generation of women more space and opportunity.
07THE PERSONAL ALBUM
Life on the road.
Through my lens.
08NOTES FROM THE ROAD
Stories from
the saddle.
Travel reflections, riding experiences and stories from a life spent exploring.
Read the stories
TRAVEL & PERSPECTIVEWhich country has
Read the story
Which country has
the best roads?
Read the story YOUR NEXT CHAPTERReady to start
DIVYA SANDHU / IRON LADY OF INDIAN MOTORCYCLING
Ready to start
your journey?
Training, collaborations or a story worth sharing.
Get in touch with Divya.