Vanessa Ruck

Born and raised in England, I’m a go-getter and a chase-your-dreams kind of woman. I grew up in the great outdoors, always pushing boundaries on horses, quad bikes and anything with wheels.

At 18 I left home to build a career and a future — university, professional roles, ambition and growth. In 2014 everything changed when I was hit by a red-light-jumping car. The long recovery, surgeries and chronic pain became a defining chapter, reshaping not just my body but my identity and future direction.

Sport has always been my escape. Before the accident it was kite surfing, snowboarding and mountain biking. After the accident, motorcycles entered my world and became my path back to strength, resilience and adventure. Today the open road and the unknown are part of my lifestyle, my healing, and my work.

While recovering from my third surgery, I founded The Girl On A Bike as a positive outlet. Since then, I’ve built an engaged global community by sharing the full story — not just the polished highs but the real, vulnerable, behind-the-scenes grit it takes to rebuild a life.

Professionally, I am now a TEDx speaker, corporate keynote presenter, international rally racer, and content creator working with leading brands across the motorcycle, lifestyle and automotive industries. I deliver talks in schools, corporations and at global events on themes including resilience, mental health, mindset, adversity, identity, and performance.

My racing portfolio includes events such as the Africa Eco Race (Original Dakar route), Red Bull Romaniacs, Qatar International Baja, Morocco Desert Challenge, Tunisia Desert Challenge, and multiple rally disciplines across desert, enduro, hard enduro and adventure environments.

Alongside motorcycling, I have also stepped into the four-wheel world — adapting my sport to my body and hip pain — spending two years as the Works Driver for Jaguar Land Rover/Bowler Defender in their rally series across the UK and Europe.

My mission is simple: make the most out of life and help others do the same, regardless of circumstance. Life is short. We don’t always choose what happens to us, but we do choose how we respond. Every day is an opportunity to grow, adapt, and find meaning — even when the road isn’t straight or smooth.

Ultimately, life is short, so it’s so important we don’t waste time or let life just slip through our fingers. Even with injuries and full-time jobs, we have so much to be grateful for and can do so much with our precious existence.

What’s my mission? To make the most of each day and help others do the same.  

LET’S TALK: If you are brand, agency or the media and want to work with Vanessa please email mark@athletemedia.co.uk or call him on +44 7952 304340.