Ellen Pfeiffer Award recipients in 2007
This is the nomination that was submitted by WIMA GB:
Both Sheonagh and Pat have been great ambassadors for women in motorcycling. They got together when they decided to ride to Sweden in about 1995. Since then, they’ve been partners and their achievements, both personal and for WIMA, have been endless.
Sheonagh Ravensdale
Sheonagh was first elected to the committee of WIMA GB in June 1986 as events secretary and in August added the duties of address list officer, no easy task in those pre-computer days. In September 1986 she was elected as a WIMA representative to the British Motorcycle Federation (BMF).
She was elected captain of WIMA GB in June 1992 and held this position for 6 years.
In 1998, Sheonagh relinquished the captain’s position so that younger members could have the opportunity to play a greater part in running WIMA GB. She was always aware of her responsibility to develop skills and leadership throughout the organisation so that it was never dependent on just one or two leaders.
Sheonagh was elected international president of WIMA at the 1997 international rally in Holland (you may find some very amusing photos of the British team bowing down to the new Queen of WIMA).
Sheonagh and Pat brought fantastic organisational skills to WIMA, working with others to form a structure for WIMA as a modern international group.
Sheonagh represented WIMA at the AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference and was able to realise a dream when the new WIMA USA was established. ‘There is huge excitement in the international WIMA community at the news that WIMA USA has started up again – in fact we’re thrilled to bits! It’s been a personal dream of mine since I became president that WIMA should have an active presence in the land where it all started, and that dream is now coming true.’
Both have also shown themselves to be great riders. They have ridden tens of thousands of miles.
As ex-WIMA president, Sheonagh started a new charity, the WIMA Street Kids project (UK charity no 1108088). WIMA officially adopted the India Street Kids Project as the first ever WIMA global charity at the August 2004 international rally in The Netherlands. She and Pat organised a Round the World Motorcycle Relay with a scroll for people to sign and to raise funds to build a refuge and school for young girls at risk from prostitution in India. The next fundraiser was the first ever all-female fire walk held in the UK at the BMF Tail End Rally in Peterborough.
Pat Thomson
Pat has been instrumental in many WIMA initiatives both in the UK and on the international scene. Indeed, she was a key supporter of Sheonagh in establishing WIMA International as a formal organisation.
Pat was also a prime organiser of the international rally in GB in 2003 and has been a member of the WIMA GB committee as treasurer. Almost all of the detail in the above statement not only supports Sheonagh, but also her partner Pat in WIMA GB’s nomination for them BOTH to receive the Ellen Pfeiffer award – their foreign travels are now legendary – their work on India Street Kids Project in itself, deserves to be recognised and the hard work they both put into promoting WIMA all over the world is something which proves them to be uniquely committed people.
Both Sheonagh and Pat last year rode the length of South America – and won a prize in the 2006 Horizons Unlimited photographic competition.
All of this demonstrates that Sheonagh and Pat have made an enormous contribution not just to WIMA, but to the motorcycling community. They have worked tirelessly to strengthen WIMA from within. The work they have done in the wider motorcycling community has built the reputation of WIMA and they are worthy recipients of the Ellen Pfeiffer award.
