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‘Why not her?’: A military nursing officer’s 8,800-km solo ride after retirement redefines what women can do

Lt Col Ambily Satish has participated in various long-distance rides, including rallies to support amputee veterans.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Dec 30, 2025 05:57 PM IST

The feeling of oneness with her motorbike over the years has led Lt Col Ambily Satish to participate in multiple rides across the country, with her most recent feat being an 8,800-km solo bike ride to 12 Jyotirlingas (sacred shrines of Lord Shiva). (Express Photo)

It was two decades ago when a young officer of the Military Nursing Services (MNS) specialising in operation theatre (OT) administration and surgical assistance found herself drawn to a machine far removed from the hospital setting: her motorcycle.

Perhaps it offered an escape from the routine, but the feeling of oneness with her motorbike over the years has led Lt Col Ambily Satish to participate in multiple rides across the country, with her most recent feat being an 8,800-km solo bike ride to 12 Jyotirlingas (sacred shrines of Lord Shiva).

Lt Col Ambily, who opted for voluntary retirement this August at the age of 45, told The Indian Express that she began her journey by first trekking to Kedarnath in October. On November 8, she set out from Dehradun, riding through Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, MP, and back in Maharashtra before concluding the ride in Pune on December 24.

For this woman rider, motorcycling is not just a hobby but a way of life that speaks of her independence and sense of purpose.

Lt Col Ambily, who opted for voluntary retirement this August at the age of 45, told The Indian Express that she began her journey by first trekking to Kedarnath in October. (Express Photo)

“There is a widespread belief that motorcycles are not meant for girls, that Indian roads are unsafe for women and once she is married and has young children, then she must give up her passion.”

“I was a rebel kid and feminist at heart. My dad was very loving and protective, but he, too, subscribed to the beliefs of his peers that motorcycling is not a woman’s domain. At the age of 12, I somehow made this promise in my mind that I would learn motorcycling and that too from a woman. I wanted to challenge and change these perceptions,” she recalled.

Finding a mentor

She was in Jodhpur, newly commissioned into the corps of MNS, when she found her mentor in then Lieutenant Sarita Muwal, her batchmate and dear friend.

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“I was 25. What started as a mode of commute soon became a passion. Biking liberates, as any other sport does. Sarita is just 5 feet tall, yet she would ride or drive all kinds of vehicles, including trucks. She agreed to be my pillion just as soon as I learned to bike, which, normally, people are scared of. We both used to go on rides to nearby sand dunes,” she said.

Her first bike was a modest 125 cc Bajaj XCD motorcycle, bought at a cost higher than her monthly salary. Later, as her confidence grew, she rode longer distances and by 2014 upgraded to a 220 cc motorcycle.

It was in Pune that she met her future husband, then Group Captain C N Satish, at the Artificial Limb Centre. He had organised a long-distance 1500 km 10-day rally in Nagpur along with amputee officers to honour them. His four amputee patients rode along with the team, and Maj Ambily joined them.

“It was to demonstrate that they are no less capable than able-bodied civilians,” Lt Col Ambily said, adding that the entire team set up a group `Phoneix Bravehearts’.

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“Our oldest rider is a 75-year-old distinguished veteran of the 1971 Indo Pak war,” she said. While the group set off on annual rides, Lt Col Ambily also went on her first long-distance ride: 2,700 km from Bengaluru to Ferozepur. Long hours in the OT and on the road instilled discipline, patience and adaptability and soon she also participated in the landmark all-women Nari Sashaktikaran rallies commemorating Kargil Vijay Diwas in 2023 and 2024.

Reflecting on the recent life-changing solo ride, Lt Col Ambily strongly believes that what she achieved is possible for any woman who dares to begin.

“Strong support from family and friends, kindness from strangers across regions often labelled unsafe and faith in the Almighty helped to ensure anything is possible,” 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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