Meeting Kathleen Terner
There are plenty of authors publishing books about their motorcycling adventures. Many are reviewed here, and it’s always fun to tag along on journeys you might not be able to take yourself. I recently had the pleasure of meeting WomenRidersNow.com (WRN) contributor and author Kathleen Terner at the Women’s International Motorcycle Association (WIMA) USA national rally and hearing her speak. It wasn’t just another spoken travelogue, rather, this tiny, sweet, unassuming woman astounded me.
Terner is a fearless adventurer and advocate for resilience and empowerment. Known for her numerous daring motorcycle journeys across some of the world’s most challenging terrain, she has also confronted many personal challenges head on.
Living At Full Throttle
Overcoming life-altering setbacks—surviving throat cancer, then a brain cancer diagnosis and a divorce—she turns to motorcycling as a path to self-discovery and healing. Living at Full Throttle starts out with a determined Terner embarking on a harrowing ride up the infamously dangerous Dalton Highway in Alaska following a positive prognosis about her brain cancer.
Terner braves over 400 miles of treacherous terrain, including steep inclines, mudslides, and unpredictable weather conditions that could ground even the most experienced riders. The Dalton, known as one of the most dangerous highways in the world, isn’t just a test of skill but also of mental fortitude. But that’s what she’s there for. This ride is about more than the road—it’s about confronting her deepest fear: the fear of dying.
Passing through Coldfoot Camp, the almost midpoint between Prudhoe Bay and Fairbanks, on the way back down, Terner reflects on the journey knowing the worst is behind her.
“Although I would prepare differently if I were to travel the Dalton again, I was grateful that I had persevered, overcome all odds, and succeeded in reaching the northernmost tip of the United States…” she writes. “As I continued south, I understood that I would be doing it as a different woman than the one who had left for Alaska less than two weeks earlier.”
At the end of the trip she realizes she is no longer the woman who’s afraid to ride her Harley-Davidson up her own driveway, or of living alone. She reflects on the name bestowed upon her by other Dalton Highway travelers she had befriended, “I was Kathleen the Brave!”
The Adventure Continues
In Iceland, Terner sets her sights on the rugged “F-roads,” rough, unpaved gravel roads that lead to the Icelandic Highlands. She navigates through lava fields, glacial rivers, and volcanic mountains. From the dramatic black-sand beaches of Vik to the majestic, snow-capped peaks of the Westfjords, Terner brings Iceland’s rugged beauty to life. She depicts the untamed allure of riding through some of the world’s most remote and challenging landscapes.
With frigid winds and unpredictable weather, these conditions might not appeal to me—or to many riders. Yet, this is Kathleen Terner’s way of Living at Full Throttle. Meeting extraordinary challenges head-on and persevering through them.
The book concludes with Terner embarking on a long-awaited tour through Europe, riding across the historic and scenic landscapes of France, Italy, Switzerland, and beyond. A bucket-list ride for many of us, she shares the joys of riding along the serpentine roads of the Alps, the scenic Amalfi coast, and the rolling countryside of Provence. Each location becomes a chapter in her journey, where the thrill of winding mountain passes and charming village stops intertwine with moments of self-discovery and gratitude for life.
Inspired Yet?
For anyone who feels inspired by adventure, resilience, and the courage to confront life’s unexpected turns, Living at Full Throttle is a compelling read. Terner’s story is a reminder that even in life’s darkest moments, there’s a way forward—an open road that beckons, with promise, beauty, and endless possibility.
The Living at Full Throttle; Embracing Empowerment, Healing, and the Open Road paperback is available for $21.99 or in eBook format for $9.99 from KathleenTerner.com, Amazon, and other retailers.