My name is Richard Swenson.
I have followed some of the Hoka Hey riders for many years. I am rider
1030 for the 2020 challenge. I have dreamed of the day when I would be
able to ride the roads with
them. Last year I turn 50 years old. Had a somewhat successful business a
healthy home life, but came to the realization that I wasn’t really
happy. I took a leap of faith I made major life changing decisions.
Through my life I’ve gone from Having a successful
business, to being homeless, Aand climb back out do you have a
successful business again. I guess the standard ups and downs in
anyone’s life brings however I’ve always taking it to extreme.One thing I
have learned is never give up. One step forward is still
one step One thing I have learned is never give up. One step forward is
still one step forward. In forward motion is still progress. I recently
came to the conclusion that when I’m happiest when I’m at my best is
when I am doing charity work. Helping others.
For this reason I picked Hoagy Hero’s To be my charity. There have been
times when I’ve been on iron butt rides Halfway wanting to give up, And
get a call from Hoagy or a text from Hoagy it was just what the doctor
ordered to give me a little bit more Drive.
Most of my iron butt rides I’ve been impromptu. The The 2000 SS gold was
running from a wind storm in Montana. It was probably my third attempt
at doing the butt burner gold 1500. That day I missed it by about 20
minutes. Down and depressed With many more miles
to turn before getting home I had gotten twisted and turned around in
St. Louis with construction. At a rest stop got a call from Hoagy, and
he said well heck keep going. I Did and was able to complete the 2000
SS Gold. Later that year I did complete the 1500
butt burner gold. On my fourth attempt.
I am told I
was the first one to complete the pony express 1500 Tabs for tots run
for Hoagy’s Hero’s. Purely by coincidence. Hoagy posted anybody going
through Atlanta and I said sure I’ll go. Expecting
to get to Hoagy’s about 10 PM I think I finally arrived at about 2:30 AM
when Hoagy met me with my favorite peanut butter cups and red bulls,
And of course a Hoagy Hug. About frozen to the core. It does get cold in
them there hills of West Virginia. For a long
time Hoagy has been an inspiration to me. The selfless acts of kindness.
I wish we all could be a little bit more like that. I certainly know I
strive.
My Mom when
she was alive used to tease me, and say that I would freeze to death one
day giving people the shirt off my back, And as much as This world
makes me want to change I realize that I can’t
change the values that I have. It will only allow me to become part of
the rat race. There’s always been a constant in my life. A place where I
can think, The place where I felt alive, the place I made my most
life-changing decisions, and that’s always been
from the saddle of my bike. I am very much looking forward to this Hoka
Hey Challenge. I hope that I can have the stamina, strength, And wisdom
to complete the challenge. With the current state of our country. The
current state of my own personal life. I felt
like this is the best time in my life to take the leap and go for the
challenge. It would seem that my business is about to fail due to the
Covid. My divorce will be final shortly. I am just about finished with
the construction on a new building for my business.
With a predicted launch date of Sometime in September.
For years I
have enjoyed Distance riding, And often say my head doesn’t get in the
clear until I turn 400 to 500 miles. One of the things I’ve always
enjoyed the most about distance riding. Is the people
that you meet along the way. The small towns friendly smiles and
histories of some of the small towns across America. When I first got
into motorcycle riding I was very much into photography. I often make a
statement that if you look back on your life it’s
a series of snapshots pictures in your head. Many of my bike memories
are like that. Snapshots of happy times different people. When I’m on
the bike it’s like live action. I’ve heard the expression before the
mountains are calling. I tell people when you ride
a motorcycle a truer statement has never been said.
I live in a
small town in South Carolina having been born and raise just outside of
New York City. We’re growing up motorcycles are way way way too
dangerous. Kind of makes me smile today. The small
town I live in South Carolina it’s like stepping back in time to the
1950s. Everybody knows who you are everybody knows your name is a true
sense of community. I look forward to welcoming new people Into my fold
of family. I have been involved in many different
aspects of the motorcycle community from running a national motorcycle
ministry (no I’m not a God squader) To forming a local Facebook group
(Pee Dee bike nights) Where we do local meetings and I started as a joke
that turned into something bigger. Over the
years we’ve done charity work I’ve put out challenges to other bikers.
At Christmas time we made up bags and took them to the street to give
them homeless folks. A constant reminder that at one time that was me.
Letting others know that most people are one
paycheck away from that being them. Kindness only takes a moment and
cost nothing. I remember at one of my lowest points having not spoken to
my family in years. I received a card in the mail second hand because I
was homeless and didn’t even have a mailbox.
It’s a simple card from my mom who at the time was fighting cancer. It
simply said I love you, Never give up. I still have the card in my desk
drawer and look at it from time to time. It was a turning point in my
life. Point being we never know it could just
be a simple phrase, A random act of kindness, a smile to a stranger that
can change someone’s life.
So as a late
entry, and not really knowing what to do with this Hoka Hey Challenge.
Kind of lost in learning as I go. Much like my whole life has been. I
hope that I have what it takes to ride the roads
with the people that I have followed for years. I say all the time to
people there’s one thing I can do that’s for sure and that’s ride my
scooter. I may not be the best. I may not be the strongest. But I know
I’m alive when I’m in the saddle. And there’s no
other feeling in the world to me and then when I become one with the
bike riding in the bike not on the bike.
So in closing
I extend this invitation. if you’re in South Carolina close to Myrtle
Beach give me a shout. I have humble accommodations but it’s warm, and
will put food in your belly, and hopefully
warm your heart,But the invitation is there. I look forward to meeting
fellow riders Of the Hoka Hey challenge. Thanks for reading. ride
safe. God Speed.
Hoka Hey see you August 9th lord willing.
