My name is Abby Spaedt, but you'll find me on the 2016 and 2018 rider lists as #846 Abby Clabough. I've lived in Colorado since 2008, having moved from New Hampshire, another beautiful state. The bike I've most recently ridden any significant distance is a 2019 Road Glide Special, however, I plan to ride my 1955 Panhead, rigid frame, kick start and all, in the 2022 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.
I
first participated in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge because I felt like my riding career
was in a rut. Nothing would ever be as thrilling and life-changing as
my 2007 solo cross-country
trip on my 2001 Softail Standard. It took me two days to work up the
nerve to tell my boyfriend (now husband) that I wanted to ride in the
Hoka Hey. To my complete surprise, he was excited about it and has
become my biggest supporter. 2016 almost killed me,
but I made it. 22 days. Thanks to riders I met on the Hoka Hey, I
learned a lot by the time 2018 rolled around and did much better. It was
so exciting to make it in for the party and be welcomed by all the
incredible riders that arrived before me. I've chosen
to attempt the Hoka Hey on my Panhead because now that I've finished the
challenge twice on late model bikes, I want to raise the bar and see
what I'm truly capable of. I may make it; I may not. But it will be an
epic adventure either way.
I
am raising money for The Medicine Wheel Ride, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit
organization of Native American female motorcyclists and allies who ride
to bring
awareness to, and provide resources for, individuals, groups, and
organizations working toward the search, recovery, prevention, and
protection of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Grants are
available to support searches, billboards, family support,
and educational materials. Native women face violence, murder, and
trafficking at up to 10 times national rates, and many of these crimes
are unresolved, also at rates exceeding that of non-native women.
Choosing an organization that supports indigenous women
made sense as a female taking part in an event that is based on Native
American principals. You can learn more about the organization on their
website: https://www.medicinewheelride.com/
or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MMIWRIDE
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