At the age of 23, Nigerian musician Udoh Ebaide Joy survived a traumatic car accident.
Her spinal cord was damaged and for months she was unable to move without a wheelchair.
But besides the pain, Mrs. Joy also experienced an overwhelming sense of clarity.
“It made me decide that I want to live my life to the fullest,” she told the BBC podcast Africa Daily.
Since her recovery, Joy has poured her energy—and her savings—into traveling, even converting a 1980s Nissan van into a home on wheels.
But Joy’s greatest adventure came this year, when at the age of 32 she became the first documented black African woman to travel solo from East to West Africa by motorcycle.
The Afrobeats singer made a 9,000 km (5,600 mile) journey from the Kenyan city of Mombasa to Lagos in Nigeria, taking her over three months in total.
Along the way she saw beautiful landscapes, encountered visa issues, an underground community of African bikers, made lonely rides through ‘scary’ forests and experienced an epic, emotional homecoming party.
“Because I was alone and traveling on those roads, and I didn’t speak the language, I always traveled with fear. That was good, because my fears kept me alive,” she says.
The journey began earlier this year when Ms Joy flew to Kenya and bought a 250cc motorbike, which she named Rory.
Having never ridden a regular bike before, let alone a motorbike, she underwent a week-long training in the capital Nairobi to prepare for her adventure.
On March 8, Ms. Joy began her journey through Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Nigeria.
She decided to avoid the Democratic Republic of Congo because of the conflict in the east, other security concerns and the poor condition of the roads.
Kenya was the perfect starting point: “the people and the friendliness” were unparalleled, she says.
The ‘crazy’ roads of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, were of course a challenge for her.
After this experience, however, she drove on to her next destination: Rwanda. She was very impressed by the seamless border crossing.
Entering numerous other countries, Ms. Joy faced additional costs, bureaucracy and hours of delays.
But Rwanda is one of the few countries on the continent where all Africans can travel visa-free.
It was also “a biker’s dream” – the mountainous terrain was perfect for practicing leaning from side to side while riding, something Ms Joy really embraced and enjoyed.
Tanzania provided the most memorable meal of Mrs. Joy’s trip.
After driving for hours without seeing a single person, she came across a village in the middle of a forest. Local women in a food court served a hungry Mrs. Joy soup, a huge bowl of roasted chicken and a bowl of fluffy white rice.
“They were fascinated by a girl on a motorbike and interested in my bad Swahili,” she laughs. “The conversation was so sweet, it just felt good to eat and see people.”
Along with curious locals, Ms Joy encountered many places of cultural significance and natural beauty on her journey. She was fascinated by the Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“It felt amazing! I had been hearing about Victoria Falls for ages – damn, it’s one of the seven (natural) wonders of our own universe,” she says.
During her journey she met motorcyclists from many countries, who rode with her on short stretches of her journey and gave recommendations for places to stay and eat.
An app for motorcyclists also proved indispensable, because she could get tips and other advice there.
When she set out, Joy was supposed to camp overnight on the side of the road. However, she quickly decided against it because it was too unsafe. Halfway through the trip, she sent her tent and other camping gear home to reduce her luggage.
From Kampala she stayed in cheap hotels, sometimes staying a few days in one place to explore the area.
“On days when I cycled, I rode at least 300 km,” she said, explaining that she often cycled at night.
In Angola, motorcyclists organised a party for her, to celebrate the journey she had made so far.
“It’s a small community,” she says. “No matter where you are, if you have the right connection, you can meet bikers anywhere.”
Those who were unable or unwilling to hop on their bikes and ride alongside Ms. Joy were able to travel with her virtually.
She posted dozens of slick mini vlogs on social media and captivated viewers all over the world with her humor and honesty.
When she had an internet connection, she would send her footage to someone at home, who would edit the footage and post videos for her.
By the end of the trip, she had over 100,000 followers on Instagram.
Many of these supporters were women, who were proud that Ms. Joy was overcoming gender stereotypes.
She showed the world that she was a woman on a bicycle, living her own adventure and doing something for herself.
“Thank you for showing the WORLD how amazing women can be!” one person commented.
Ms Joy did not experience any discrimination during her journey.
“People ask about the negative things, but I haven’t experienced them,” she says.
“Yes, people are fascinated by a girl on a bicycle, but I haven’t had any bad experiences with it yet.”
The positivity she experienced during the journey reached a peak when she reached her final destination: Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city.
Motorcyclists and other members of the public thronged the streets to welcome her as a hero at an event organised by the Nigerian Ministry of Arts and Culture.
“When I arrived, I couldn’t hold back my tears. People were dancing and cheering. I couldn’t contain my excitement,” Ms. Joy recalled.
After “sleeping uninterrupted for three days,” she concludes that the trek has changed her outlook on life.
“The journey has taught me that I am resilient and persistent enough to overcome any challenge life throws my way,” she says.
“I had the best time of my life.”
However, she has no intention of hanging up her leather clothing. In just over a month, she will be leaving on a journey from Nigeria to Morocco.
Cycling is a “life lesson,” she explains, taking her to the most beautiful places and introducing her to the most wonderful people.
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