Nurse as biker babe

By Adam Hashidy.

Crushed skulls, broken bones and badly-burnt bodies.

Nurse Kelly Ho, who works in the emergency room at the National University Hospital, has seen them all.

Yet, they don't frighten her. As a biker babe, she zips around in riding boots, leather jacket and gloves - even though flashes of the horrific victims of motorcycle accidents are never far from her mind.

But, if anything, they server to remind the 20-something year-old to be extra careful on the road.

Said Ho: "I've been involved in just one accident and suffered a bruised elbow. That was in 1998 when a motorist made an illegal U-turn and banged into me."

Yesterday at Bar Opiume, she proudly displayed her two-week old 650cc Honda Deauville at an event organised to promote the Gauloises Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix 2002.

"I've gone up to 160km/h on the Malaysian Highway," she whispered.

Ho has been riding for almost 10 years, and owned a Honda Super 4 previously.

An avid tourer, she has ridden to Phuket, Thailand and Malaysia. This weekend, she is off to Kuantan.

"Actually, not many people express surprise when they find that I ride a big bike. But their jaws drop when they hear that I am a nurse.

But what if you have a hot date and need to wear a dress?

"No problem. The man has to pick me up in a car," she quipped.