Actress Jill Halfpenny the latest celebrity to get hooked on motorbiking

Jill HalfpennyAward-winning actress and West End star Jill Halfpenny has become the latest celebrity to complete her journey into the world of motorbikes by passing her full test and becoming the proud owner of a Moto Guzzi Griso V7 Classic.

Halfpenny, who has appeared in TV shows Eastenders, Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, was one of five celebrities who earlier this year took up the challenge issued by the Get On campaign to learn to ride a motorbike and spend a week in the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho in Southern Africa working with charity Riders for Health to deliver antiretroviral drugs.

Having completed both on and off-road training, Halfpenny joined former England cricket hero Darren Gough and Coronation Street stars Shobna Gulati and Oliver Mellor on the expedition, which fuelled her passion to continue riding when back in the UK.

The Olivier-award winning actress said,I was already a scooter rider before I was approached by the Get On campaign as I found it such a useful way to get through the city traffic and so much cheaper. My boyfriend rides bikes and I’d always fancied giving it a go but wasn’t really sure how to go about it. I think as a girl getting into biking can be a bit intimidating.”

“As soon as I tried riding a geared bike I knew that riding a motorbike was something I wanted to do long term. Going to Lesotho was a once in a lifetime experience with memories I will always cherish, but one of best things to come out of it is becoming a fully-fledged biker. There are few feelings which beat the thrill of being out on a bike and on top of that it’s so much more practical in a city than a car or public transport.”

The Get On campaign is the Motor Cycle Industry’s (MCIA) official campaign to get more people onto motorbikes and scooters. The dedicated site provides a one-stop-shop on all you need to know about how to get into riding and also offers anyone aged 16 or over a free one hour taster lesson.

Last week TV presenter Gethin Jones joined up to support the Get On campaign, Jones had also taken part in the Lesotho expedition.