Sigi Wimala

“Cycling on the streets gives me freedom and control”

Sigi Wimala is not ashamed to admit her tendency Sto “be afraid of everything”. Acknowledging those fears is important to keeping her aware and overcoming them, she believes.

The former cover girl takes risks by cycling on Jakarta’s unpredictable streets.

“When I got married and had a daughter, the idea of being active and healthy became my priority. As you get older, you know your capacity and your limits. And I found mine in cycling,” she says.

She started slowly, trying to inch her way into traffic, graduating to going down a hill at high speed. She faces the dangers alone.

“It has brought its own sense of freedom and control. And it’s also my ‘me’ time to become a better person. I now see Jakarta in front of me, instead of from behind a window. You feel the heat, experience the smells, because you are right there.”

She is used to the double takes as a woman on a bike. “I want to show them that I can do it,” she says.