(May 30, 2022) There aren’t many women bike racers in India. Amongst the few who have made a place for themselves in this male dominated space, is Dr Neharika Yadav, topping the list. The Gurgaon-based superbike racer juggles racing with dentistry, and that too with elan. At her top speed of 275km/h, the super biker races with the fastest men as the only female in the grid alongside 40 male racers in the 1000cc category at the JK Tyre Superbike Championships every year.
Dr Neharika Yadav
“I have got a good support system in the clinic who manage things when I am on the track,” says the doctor adding, “and when I am in clinic, I make sure to give 200 percent to my patients,” in a conversation with Global Indian.
Popular as Doctor N on the tracks, Neharika’s weekends are for the biking sessions while her weekdays are reserved for her clinics. The founder and CEO of two private clinics – Dr N’s Dentistry and the dental department of multi-speciality clinic, Sayaa Med – The Health Tower in Gurgaon, Neharika is balancing the act perfectly.
Living with passion
Her life’s journey so far has been all about dreaming, wanting and evolving. All was going well for this fauji kid when things took a sudden U-turn in February 2005 after her cab met with an accident. The head-on collision with a truck led to the death of the driver but she lived to share her story.
Her right hand showed no sign of movement even after two years of the accident. Devastated, she was almost on the verge of giving up on dentistry, but somehow continued to live in hope. After multiple consultations with surgeons across the country, one gave her hope of bringing back 50 percent of the hand movement. Her happiness knew no bound as in dentistry the right hand is the master in carrying out different dental procedures. Even as a biker, the partial movement causes her various attempts at throttling her bike. But she isn’t the one to complain as these are the passions, she has chosen for herself. Despite these challenges, she is one of the fastest woman super bikers in India – all thanks to her passion. “I inspire others to pick up a passion as I believe that without passion there is no life,” remarks, the dentist-biker who is also a motivational speaker.
Helming the helmet
Neharika, who has ridden at the Sepang International Circuit (Malayasia) and the Mugello Circuit (Italy), stumbled upon the world of racing five years ago. “A chance visit to the Buddh International Circuit in Noida filled me up with passion for the sport. I was so inspired by the all-male riders that I could not stop myself from following their path,” says the doctor, who has been practicing dentistry for the last 14 years.
Racing with glory
When she entered the world of racing, she was already a practicing dentist, testing the waters just for the sake of hobby. Though she knew how to ride a bike, the level of biking required in racing was a different ball game altogether that she eventually mastered over a period of time. “I trained and practiced on my own getting guidance from top male racers of the country, along the way. Though I did not have any formal training, seasoned riders improved my performance by observing my moves on the track and polishing them with their expert tips,” says the alumnus of SR College of Dental Sciences and Research, Faridabad who is also armed with an MBA in hospital administration from Manipal University.
Giving her best
“Whatever you are doing at a point of time should be your priority. So, when I am on track, I forget about the clinic, and when I am in clinic, I forget about the track,” chips in the biker-doctor who visits the international formula 1 circuit at least once a month to practice with the stalwarts. It’s the countdown to race that gets this top woman biker most excited. “It’s like a mega event where everyone is available on the track practicing with full zeal adding energy to the air,” the super biker adds.
Dr Neharika Yadav at her clinic in Gurgaon
Along with being a dentist and a biker, Neharika is also an UNESCO ambassador for kindness owing to her campaigns for rescuing Indie dogs and working for their adoption by caring individuals. “I have myself adopted four of them,” she smiles.
Representing India
Not many know that she is a Ducati racer for the Ducati Indian team. As she advanced in her racing prowess, she upgraded her bike Ducati 899 to the sleeker Ducati V4, now.
The biker-doctor-model wears all hats with elan
Alongside the Roadies fame Rannvijay Singha, she represented India in Ducati world motorcycle event. “The whole experience of representing the country and riding with so many top bikers from other countries in a beautiful place like Florence was an amazing experience,” gushes Neharika. Driving in Dubai and Abu Dhabi circuits are on the wish list of the biker woman who calls Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez her inspiration.
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Being a fauji kid
Being the daughter of a fighter pilot, Sanjiv Yadav, Neharika spent an adventurous childhood moving between different air bases. “I have lived in air bases for almost 18 years of my life, changing places every two years, studying in Air Force schools across India.” The free-spirited and adventurous biker-doctor attributes her personality to the lifestyle. “It became a part of my persona. Due to my exposure to different cultures in India, I make friends easily and appreciate life in totality,” she adds.
Dr Neharika Yadav with her parents and sibling
Her love for sports also comes from her Anglo-Indian mother, Janice Yadav, who is a car rallyist. Added to that, “As fauji kids we had access to best sports facilities in every station. We were exposed to a very healthy and balanced lifestyle and that has contributed to my discipline of a racer,” remarks Neharika. Her father is now a commercial pilot and simulator instructor at IndiGo airlines.
The fitness freak biker-doctor is always on track with her fitness goals, sweating out in the gym at least four days a week. “I did modelling for a couple of years just at a passion level for few campaigns of friends,” signs off the multitasker who loves great conversations over coffee, meeting new people, travelling, spending time with family, and watching movies whenever she finds time in between racing and dentistry.
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