In 2009 I attended a lecture on the topic of “Success”. The speaker was droning on and on about the usual discussion points regarding successful people and I was losing interest. Then he mentioned a theory he had about successful people that changed my life forever: he claimed that about every 5 years, very successful people shake things up in their lives, they challenge themselves to starting a new business or to taking up a new hobby that none of their friends or family thought was in their DNA. “The more extreme, the better”, he said. That afternoon, I signed up for my motorcycle endorsement class. I had never ridden a motorcycle before in my life but had always wanted to.
Since then I have been an active motorcycle rider and have enjoyed many long-distance motorcycle rides in my 175,000 miles ridden. In 2017 I rode from Key West, FL to Fairbanks, AK in 8 days. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I rode the Four Corners in 17 days. And this year I rode Harley-Davidson’s Challenge of “10 Rides for ‘21” in one continuous loop, also in 17 days. I have enjoyed every mile I have ever ridden because I enjoy the raw beauty of our country, especially the small towns and back roads that weave a tale of the history of the United States.
For the last 19 years, I have worked as a Financial Advisor for Morgan Stanley, managing the finances of approximately 250 families around the US. I enjoy helping people to achieve their financial goals in spite of the ups and downs of the economy and stock and bond markets. My clients like my steady manner and calming voice during turbulent times, and they look to me to guide them year after year. I truly love my job!
When I am not working with my clients, I spend a lot of time on my motorcycle as the leader of the Ft. Lauderdale Harley-Davidson Drill Team, a precision motorcycling team that performs at charitable events throughout the southeastern United States. I have been a member of the Drill Team since 2012 and have performed in dozens of shows. When not motorcycling, I enjoy playing golf, which like motorcycling takes practice, determination, and a life-long quest to always strive for improvement. In addition to playing golf, I am also a volunteer Golf Rules Official with the Florida State Golf Association. Over the last 11 years, I have assisted other Rules Officials, as well as numerous players, at many amateur and professional golf tournaments throughout south Florida. I also enjoy spending time with my family including my girlfriend Kristen, her daughter Kamryn, and our 3 dogs, Wedge, Dice and Harley.
As a first-time rider in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, any expectations I may have prior to beginning the ride will likely be stretched way beyond what I could have imagined by the time I finish. I have spoken with past finishers, I have read the blogs and Facebook posts for the past year from other Hoka Hey riders and I attended the Rendezvous in Seguin, TX last summer and from all of this, I have a “feel” for the difficulty that lies ahead. The riding itself, the turn-by-turn instructions, the sleeping by the motorcycle, the fatigue…it all adds up to an immense challenge like none other. But I am resourceful and determined to push myself to become a Hoka Hey Finisher. In addition, the charitable aspect of the HHMC is a motivator, knowing that I will be helping others in need by challenging myself to my physical and mental limits.
The best advice I have been given ahead of the HHMC is to stay focused on the task at hand and to be “in the moment”. I know ahead of time that there will be hours of riding that will blend into days of riding that will blend into almost 2 weeks of riding but the best advice is to stay in the present and not get too ahead of myself. It is the journey, after all, and not so much the destination that counts. And just like in the rest of my life, I will be kind to myself and kind to others all along the journey.
I am a better night rider in the morning, before the sun has risen and after some sleep, than in the late evening after riding all day. My plan is to ride each day for a few hours into the sunrise and to not ride too many hours after sunset. This formula has worked very well for me over the years and I intend to try to keep up with it during the HHMC. Fatigue is likely to become another major obstacle during the Challenge and I intend to listen to my body when it is begging for a rest. I will try to eat and drink in quantities that will keep me energized and hydrated. Most helpful of all will be to try to relax my mind, to stay in the present, and to quickly dissipate any frustrations or impatience that I will endure during the Challenge.
I want to ride the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge to test my resourcefulness and my motorcycling skills, to push myself mentally and physically through long days of riding, and to earn the accomplished feeling of successfully achieving a tremendous goal. These are my silent, personal reasons. In addition, I will outwardly assist other riders in the Challenge to also achieve their goal of finishing, whether that means helping with a mechanical issue on their bike or encouraging them with positive words to keep them going during the difficult moments. We are all in this together, whether in life or during the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, and I am very aware of that fact.
Dana Darcy, Jocelyn Lummis and Robert Saunooke are all Chapter Members of the Ft. Lauderdale Harley Owners Group (HOG). From 2018 through August 2020 I was the Director of the Chapter and I had discussions with each of them about the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. That is how I first learned about the Challenge.
An integral part of the Challenge is to raise funds for a charity of one’s choice. The charity I have selected is the Oglala Pet Project located within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. OPP was founded to help community members care for their animals and improve the quality of life for pets through education, spay/neuter support, pet health resources, and the re-homing or networking of abandoned, abused or unwanted pets on the Reservation. I will be riding for myself AND for those abused and neglected animals who need all the support we can collectively offer.
Several months from now all riders selected to participate in the 2022 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge will begin a journey that will test their motorcycle riding skills, their mental strength, their stamina, endurance and resourcefulness to “figure it out” to successfully complete the Challenge. I am looking forward to my time spent with the other riders before, during and after the completion of the 2022 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.
Thank you for selecting me for this Challenge to return to the Sioux, Paha Sapa, “The Heart of Everything That Is”.
---Gene Fiamma, Rider #1038
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