Almost every guy atleast once in his lifetime wishes to ride a superbike and even race. But it’s not everyone who can fulfill his wish to do so. The chances are even lesser if you are in Nepal as there are no such infrastructure and equipments available for this sport. So how did a dreamer who always dreamed of being a Superbike Racer and who was often made fun of because of the same, fulfilled his dreams? Ladies and gentlemen, let us introduce you to the first ever Nepali Superbike Racer and coach – Ashish Kumar Shakya.
Born to Dr. Sushil Kumar Shakya and Aruna Shakya in Kathmandu, Ashish is the eldest among his siblings – Sushmita and Aayush. It all started when he was 7 and his father bought him a BMX bike. At a very young age, he could perform some very good stunts on his bike. His bike was a thing he could never get away from. He would cycle 10 KMs everyday to and from his school – St. Xaviers in Jawalakhel with around 8 pounds of his school bag on his back. When he reached 15, he would ride his cousin’s motorbike and even his dad’s car, of course, without anyone else’s knowledge. He legally started riding motorbikes on city roads and highways when he passed his driving license test at the age of 17. He recalls that he learned a lot of things about the superbikes and about the world’s best racers from a PC game called ‘Moto GP’. In order to fulfill his dream of being a superbike racer, he went to United States when he was 21. He started researching all about it and met people associated with the sport. He learned about the superbikes, rode them and was finally able to earn a Grand Prix (GP) Racer license from the Central Road Racing Association in Minneapolis.
He is now a well renowned GP racer and a coach in Minneapolis. Some of his achievements in this sport are:
- 1st Place: 2010 Novice Year
- 1st Place: Super-sport sprints 2011 Expert Level
- 1st Place: Super-sport sprints 2012 Expert Level
- 2nd Place: Team Race – 2 Men 1 Cup Series 2012
- 1st Place: Pit Bike Series First Season 2013
- 2nd Place: Pit Bike Series Second Season Expert Level 2013
- 1st Place: Team Race – 2 Men 1 Cup Series 2013
- Multiple 1st Places: MKA Championship Series 2014
Ashish has actually proved that if you have a determination, no dream is unachievable. All you need is confidence, courage and a positive attitude and you may be able to live your dreams for real. NeoStuffs asked Ashish about his future plans and he told us that he would continue to work hard and improve his abilities more and try his best to reach higher and higher. He also wants to do something for his nation and plans to help the poor and needy children in some ways. We asked him to say something to all the dreamers who are afraid they won’t be able to achieve their goals and his words were, “Don’t be afraid to dream big and then don’t ever back-off at any stage no matter how impossible the goal may seem. Just keep fighting.”
Here are some of his pictures. Like him on Facebook to stay updated with all his activities.
Watch a video of him coaching a rookie.
