The ROAD: What gave you the idea of trying stunt riding?
Chesca: The initial idea had set in when I was around 13 but I’d thought about it be- fore as motorsports was in my family. At 14 I was hanging around with a few peo- ple who were already into the Streetbike Freestyle sport, so I wanted to tag along with them when they went training. I per- formed 2-up tricks with the
riders for a couple of years but nothing too
serious at that point. My love for motorcy- cles started when I was very young though.
The ROAD: Does the idea of getting injured bother you?
Chesca: Not really, I think that if you worry too much about getting hurt, it will hold you back. It’s best not to totally lose the fear of
getting hurt though, or you could end up trying things which are out of your skill range.
The ROAD: Do the people you deal with in the modeling world have con- cerns about you damaging yourself?
Chesca: It has always been a bit of a concern for people in that business al- though the people I work with think it’s pretty cool – Well I guess it is! When I turn up for makeup I often have to apolo- gise for the bruises on my legs from occasional bashing on the stunt cage. Haha.
The ROAD: Are there any other women stunt riders in the UK?
Chesca: Not that anyone is aware of, no. At the moment, I am the only one but I do want more female riders to enter the sport, it’d be nice to be accompanied by another female rider whilst training and such.
The ROAD: Is there anyone in the stunt world/movie world who inspires you?
Chesca: Angelina Jolie for sure. She is a great role model for doing her own stunts but she doesn’t do any on a motorcycle. Inspiration, for me comes from how I feel about something, more so than watching others do it although it does help a great deal.
The ROAD: What kind of movie roles would you most like to take on?
Chesca: I’d prefer to take on something highly challenging and motivational for the viewer. I’m not too sure exactly what that would be, but I know it would be something which I would put every last bit of effort into making feel as real as possi- ble for the viewers. I like it when an actor puts all of their abilities in one bag and reveals them all to their audience.
44 The ROAD
A question of balance
Female models and motorcycle stunt riders donʼt normally inhabit the same world. Chesca Miles lives in both. A rider in the
ʻSTUNT STARZʼ team sheʼs not an average 20 year old, sheʼs not an average person.
The ROAD: What makes a good stunt bike?
Chesca: A well-equipped and maintained stunt bike, is a good one. No matter really what it is, if you have all of the right mod- ifications and alterations done, it will be a good one.
The ROAD: What makes a stunt rider?
Chesca: Everyone is different, what you can say though, is that those with the de- termination and appreciation for the sport will have more chance of pursuing it in the correct way and going far with it. Of course having the funds is handy as stunt riding doesn’t come cheap.
The ROAD: How do male stunt riders take to you being able to do this kind of thing?
Chesca: Some think it is really good, but others just think it's ok and that I'm equal to guys, therefore compare me to their skill level but many of them do not share their thoughts with me. I don’t know ex- actly why, there could be a million rea- sons but the stunt riders who do give an opinion are generally one way or the other. I haven’t been shown a great deal of support as a female stunt rider but it does- n’t really bother me because as long as I show support to them and try to lift their spirits, that’s all that matters.
The ROAD: What protective gear to you use during your stunts?
Chesca: : I wear an Arai Viper GT helmet alongside my Knox Cross Shirt, Aegis Back protector, Knox shin guards, Sartso Kevlar jeans, protective boots and gloves with carbon fibre knuckles. I always wear protection whilst stunting as not only do I want to protect myself from injury, but I want to set an example to the people who watch what I do as they will tend to copy what you wear as well as ask for advice.
The ROAD: Do you have a view on the use of protective clothing for road riding?
Chesca: I think you should wear protec- tive clothing on a motorcycle. Even if you limit yourself to a back protector, helmet gloves etc I think you should. I don’t mean necessarily full leathers always but for sure it’s best to wear something that will help if you do come off.
The ROAD: Do you have a view on its use being compulsory?
Chesca: I don’t think it should be com- pulsory. When I’ve had badly bruised el- bows and knees I’ve not been able to put my elbow or knee protection on. At this time, I had to travel by motorcycle so I put on all my other protective clothing apart from what I was unable to wear due to the pain.
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