Meet The Rider # 875 Rick McLeod

My wife Naomi and I have 5 children and 6 grandchildren. We are a military family, both of us
Persian Gulf War veterans (she’s Navy, I’m Army). Three of our children and 1 son-in-law also served
or are still serving (1 Marine, 3 Air Force). We love to travel and have been all over the nation and
several countries, sometimes on 2 wheels, sometimes more. We are located in Arkansas.

I rode my first Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge in 2018 after hearing about it from my Dad. He saw an advertisement somewhere and knew I liked to ride long distance…but this was something new in its scale and timeline. I was hooked on the idea as soon as I heard the details! I rode that first time by myself, and
other than getting turned around a few times, had a blast while making my way along the route, and
riding alongside newfound friends, coming in as one of the Elite Finishers. In 2020, my brother Mike
and I rode together right up to the point where I blew the engine up in my 2013 Ultra. After 17 hours,
my home dealership, Pig Trail Harley-Davidson (one of our check points again in 2024!) delivered
my newly-purchased 2020 Ultra to Van Horn, Texas, and hauled the old one home, allowing me to
finish in 13 days. 2022 was another great adventure, with my brother and I finishing in 12 days.
I have fine-tuned my riding style and equipment over the last 3 Challenges, but know that each one
provides a different set of problems that must be addressed. To me, the key facet of the HHMC is
the battle within yourself. You are not competing against anyone else, but instead against your own
abilities. I heard the phrase, “Ride Your Own Ride” for the first time in 2018 and have used it as my
own mantra ever since. It’s a powerful statement and one that encapsulates what each rider should
aspire to accomplish. The Challenge is real and one that cannot be taken lightly.

My chosen non-profit is the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. They work diligently to provide food to
those who are food-insecure in my home area. They work on this through partnerships with food
pantries, store fronts where clients can obtain free food with no questions asked, and mobile food
pantries that travel to various locations. The money raised through our efforts will go directly to the
mission of providing food to those needy families.

Donations can be made directly to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank