1,433 Women Shatter Motorcycle World Record in Illinois

Over 1,400 women on motorcycles shut down 31 miles of interstate in Illinois to make history together.

Sheila Slater and Crystal Young from Mitchell, South Dakota, joined 1,433 female riders in Rockford, Illinois, to smash the previous world record for the largest all-female motorcycle ride. The women rode in staggered pairs along the closed interstate, creating a powerful display of unity and determination.

Young started riding just 10 years ago but says the freedom of motorcycling changed her life. She describes it as the ultimate presence, where being exposed to the elements helps you stay in the moment without distractions and truly take everything in.

For Slater, riding runs in the family. Her grandmother rode motorcycles in Germany in the 1930s, and her father opened the first Harley dealership there in 1971 as an Army brat. "It's like wind therapy," she says about the experience.

The two women traveled 1,300 miles round trip from South Dakota to participate. They dodged severe thunderstorms near Waterloo, Iowa, and wisely waited out a tornado warning before entering Rockford on Friday afternoon.

Why This Inspires

Young knows the interstate closure may have frustrated some drivers, but she sees the bigger picture. "I would challenge those individuals to look outside their windshield and realize what just happened," she said. "There were 1,433 women on motorcycles that were united for one common cause, and it was just to do it and break records."

The event shows how women are claiming space in traditionally male-dominated hobbies and rewriting the rules. From Slater's three-year-old trip from Mitchell to Santa Barbara to their upcoming plans for Sturgis, these riders prove that breaking records is just another day in the saddle.

Even with a world record behind them, both women remain full throttle into their passion.