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Aparna Umesh, a 32-year-old sales and marketing professional based in Kochi remembers taking road trips across the country as a child with her father. Many years later, in 2019, it was her father who gifted her a 4x4 vehicle from where her journey into the terrains of off-roading began. Since her first foray into the field, she has participated in several competitions, breaking barriers in what is otherwise considered a male-dominated sport.
In March 2022, she was the first Indian woman to participate in the Orange Fest organised by JK Tyres. Despite being unable to make it to the final rounds of the competition because of technical issues in her vehicle, she considers the experience especially empowering.
A travel and auto enthusiast, Aparna founded a 4x4 training academy in Kerala, in partnership with her mentor and husband, called R&T 4X4 Training Academy, which offers professional training to those interested in learning the basics of 4WD. She and her husband also set up Nowhere Hostels and Camps in Ramakkalmedu, a hamlet in the Idukki district in Kerala, as a lodge for travellers coming to the area.
In conversation with Outlook Traveller, Umesh talk about taking the unconventional path of off-roading, how she balances her corporate job and passion for adventure, and gave tips to beginners entering this field.