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Against All Odds | From a suicidal wreck to the woman who brought endurance cycling to India, how Divya Tate pedalled her way out of the fog

Unstoppable, Divya Tate has built a lakeside cabin in the countryside, riding her old Trek MTB, working towards sustainable living, and is planning her own version of a triathlon for her 60th this year.

5 min readPuneUpdated: Feb 15, 2026 02:22 PM IST

In 2011, Divya Tate became the first woman to become a Super Randonneur and qualify for the Paris-Brest-Paris ride in France. (Photo by special arrangement)

Abuse is better understood now, but several decades ago many women who endured it remained silent, preferring not to talk about it. Among them was Divya Tate, a trained architect, single mom with two sons whom she homeschooled, the first Indian woman to participate in the Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) Randonneur (2011) and widely acknowledged as the woman who established endurance cycling in the country.

With ambitious plans to design her own version of a triathlon this October, when she turns 60, Divya admits her marriage lasted for eight years and was one of the most painful chapters that seemed to quietly erase her existence.

”It was an abusive environment. My well-being was never truly considered, and over time, I began to lose my sense of self. I was physically present, but I felt dead inside. I was more vulnerable when I became pregnant. Still, I was in denial that it was that bad and tried to make my marriage work until I had my second child. The day I came home after the hospital, there was a huge fight,” Divya recalled.

Numbing out felt easier than facing the reality of it all, she felt at that time. She pulled back and pondered over the fact that she had brought two lives into this world. “I had to brace myself and fight out of it. It was a piece of fog, but I actively started working to find systems that support me,” she said.

‘What empowered me in that journey was cycling’

Divya, who would cycle as a kid when her dad was in the Indian Air Force, still remembers how upset she was that her bicycle had been sold. The family lived in Mumbai then and after marriage, she relocated to Pune in 1992, where both husband and wife were practising architects. She went on to purchase a basic bicycle with six gears. “I felt a sense of freedom here. It was a moment of epiphany,” she said.

“My cycle helped me regain some sort of independence over my life,” Divya said, adding that she would ride to work and even take her young children to kindergarten on her cycle. “That was way back in 2001. I soon realised that all those years I had lost sight of my interests, but as long as I had my cycle, I could do anything,” she smiled.

While it took a couple of years to live separately and transform herself from being a suicidal wreck to then engage with the world, Divya also exposed her children to cycling and trekking. “I have always loved the countryside and cycling, so I would pack a simple bag and set off with my basic bike—no fancy panniers, just what I could carry and ride 70–100 km at a time, stopping to eat, exploring villages and the quiet countryside around Pune,” she said.

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Divya Tate used to take her children to school on her cycle. (Photo by special arrangement)

A Super Randonneur, Divya showed cycling belonged to women too

Cycling as a leisure activity did not exist, and even as a sport, it was very limited. Most of what Divya did was a solo adventure,except when her kids started to join her. Divya, however, remembers that when PBP Randonneur, a 1,200-km cycling event, was announced, the sign-ups were almost all men. “I registered to simply show that cycling belongs to women too,” she said. She became the first Indian woman to qualify for the Randonneur, organised by Audax Club Parisien. But prior to that, she had to deal with a nasty fall where she broke her right kneecap. She recovered as she was in training form, and in 2011 she became the first woman to become a Super Randonneur and qualify for the Paris-Brest-Paris ride in France. “This was the turning point for me to take over as the national representative for India and facilitate this activity throughout India under Audax India Randonneurs,” she recalled.

Of cycling ecosystem development and community building

Divya started organising brevets in Pune, creating the oldest still active Randonneuring club. Under her management, the Audax India organisation grew to over 80-plus cities in India, and she was also a crew and official member at international races, and went on to conduct 28 Ultracycling (RAAM Qualifier) races of 600 to 1,750 km, under the Inspire India banner. Apart from being the Race director of numerous short and long races in India, she also set up a unique Audax India Women’s club.

Divya Tate has conducted 28 Ultracycling (RAAM Qualifier) races of 600 to 1,750 km, under the Inspire India banner. (Photo by special arrangement)

Unstoppable, Divya has built a lakeside cabin in the countryside, riding her old Trek MTB, carving trails for running and swimming and working towards sustainable living. “What motivates me despite the odds is that no one promised us a cushy journey; rough patches are par for the course. Every challenge is just another opportunity to evolve, learn and become stronger,” she said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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