Hello, my name is Robert
Goffinski, but please call me Gopher as most of my friends do. Last December I
turned 70 years old and wanted to celebrate the occasion by planning an epic
trip for the summer. I had purchased a 2018 Ultra Low as a birthday and
Christmas present and just needed a destination for the summer ride. In
January, while at a HOG meeting some fellow members were mentioning the Hoka
Hey Motorcycle Challenge. I had seen Hoka Hey riders at the Moonshine Lunch Run
back in April of 2017 and was curious what Hoka Hey was all about. As the
conversation went on it heightened my interest to the point that once I was
home I researched the website and I decided to “take the challenge.”
Being retired, I occupy my
time with many hobbies and interests. I enjoy being creative making many things
most people would purchase from a merchant. I make furniture, silkscreen,
collect stamps and coins and run an E-Bay store. I enjoy golf, fishing and
bowling but my major pastime involves my motorcycling. I have been a major
leader in the motorcyclists’ rights movement in my home state of Illinois and in Washington, D.C. I have held elected office and worked in many
campaigns, local, state and national. After retiring from 45 years as an
electrician, my wife and I moved to farmland country and cornfields of DeKalb County. After the move we spent much of our time remodeling
our new home all by ourselves. Although maintenance of our home and family
takes up quite a bit of our time we always set aside time for a six to eight
thousand mile trip in late summer. Together my wife and I have traveled to all
49 states and from Quebec to British Columbia and the Yukon.
I enjoy doing new and
exciting things, sometimes dangerous things, but hey, you want to live forever?
The Hoka Hey motorcycle challenge was truly something new and exciting for
me. I’ve always been able to ride and or
drive long distances and I felt quite confident that I could do 800 to 1000
miles a day, however the question is, can I do it for days in a row. I look forward to this being a new and
exciting adventure.
Physically I’ve been blessed
with good health and very few limitations.
God knows how long this will continue so this is why I had seized this
moment, this time to accept the challenge.
Mentally I feel confident I can complete this event just as well as any
other rider. I truly believe attitude
has everything to do with success and I don’t like to put limitations on my
abilities. Financially one could always
use more money. I’m trying to nail down
a sponsor who could help me with some of the fiscal responsibilities but I’m
full ready to bear the monetary obligations on my own.
A number of my friends have
been very supportive and wished me well.
They are excited to be able to track me over the Internet while on the
challenge. My local Harley Davidson
dealer whom I approached to sponsor me was also excited about the event and my
participation. He is ready to sponsor me but he has to get permission from higher
up the corporate ladder to do so. I am
holding out hope that the corporate bosses will consent to allow him sponsor
me.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle
of this challenge has been putting my wife and ease about the event. She, along with others, thinks I’m crazy to
do this at seven years old however those same individuals have told me that if
any one can do this at 70 years old, I can.
Another hurdle I have to get over is what to pack what not to pack. I want to be prepared for any unseen
circumstance but then again I don’t want to bring too much, especially
unnecessary items.
I have not really received
any enlightening words of advice from anyone other than logical tips on staying
awake, which they see as being the biggest challenge. Of course the usual make sure your bike is
road worthy is always mentioned, but in the end, the closing comment is
something about questioning my sanity.
This event is one of those
that separate the men from the boys, the weekend warriors and the true
dedicated motorcycle riders. These Hoka
Hey motorcycle challengers are ready to “walk the walk”, to ride ride, and I
want to be among them.
I am using this event to
raise money for the Disabled American Veterans organization (DAV) and the
Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) youth ministries. With the increasing number of veterans
returning from combat with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) the DAV
provides needed services helping our veterans successfully make that transition
back to civilian life. As God is slowly
being removed from our founding fathers America, the CMA is keeping God alive in the motorcycle community.
Their work helping young people, the future of America, to be comfortable with their fate or being exposed
to the present of God, is a valued contribution to this great country’s
future. Donations to either of these
worthy organizations can be made on a secure web site created for this purpose.
http://squareup.com/store/gophers-dav-cma-hoka-hey-fundraiser.
I have been extremely
possessed with “the Challenge” since January and for me July 15, 2018 can’t come so enough. It will be “Good Medicine.”
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