Greetings from North Carolina! My name is Jim Hollister, Hoka Hey Rider #980.
If you are reading these bios, but have not participated, I am sure you are coming to the
realization that the Hoka Hey Motocycle Challenge is many things to many people. It is an
incredible adventure, that much is for certain. The experiences it provides and the lessons it
teaches along the way are priceless. I know it isn’t for everyone, and that is OK.
I have participated in two Hoka Hey Motorcycle challenges. The 2020 Challenge was my first. I
had followed the event with great interest for several years beforehand until I was able to give
it a shot. I had no expectations going in, as I had never done anything remotely like this before.
What I really wanted was the Hoka Hey experience, as I came to call it. And it did not
disappoint! It was a whirlwind of things crammed in to 16 days of riding in all kinds of
conditions around the country to places I had never been. Most of it was just awesome, with a
few scary moments thrown in for good measure. But you learn from those.
And so, when it was time for the 2022 Challenge, I was totally in! I was going to take my
lessons learned and apply them to my ride. The big thing for me was mile management. I
wanted to finish in 14 days, and so you gotta cover a certain amount of distance each day. I did
not do a good job of that the first time. There were other things I tweaked to my liking, and I
felt I was doing pretty good managing my days while still enjoying everything around me, which
in all honesty, is the most important aspect of all of this – in my humble opinion. I was on
track! I will tell you that my experience was much different this time, thoughts and perceptions
I had along the way. And I continued to learn and grow from what the challenge provided each
day. Anyway, things were just peachy for 6,114 miles...and that is when I had a catastrophic
engine failure. Dang it! Ugh...geez man, that’s not cool. I weighed my options...this challenge
was done...well, suspended. I do have the remaining route...just sayin’.
So here we are today. After much discussion and debate – primarily with myself but with my
wife Cheryl as well to provide some solid advice and perspective – I have decided to participate
in the 2024 Challenge. Why? Well, with a one-way route going to Homer, AK the allure of this
adventure is strong and if I am being honest with myself, I would never do this otherwise as we
have lots of other cool stuff on our list of things to do! And more importantly, I have her total
support, which is everything! Love and support will get you to where you need to be...I am
thankful for the love and support she gives me each and every day. Armed with that, my faith
and a renewed perspective of the spirit and intent of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, I am
truly excited about this grand adventure and riding with:
INTEGRITY...COMPASSION...SACRIFICE...HONOR...RESPECT.
Of course, another great thing about the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is the opportunity to
bring awareness to and raise funds for charities or organizations that are near and dear to our
hearts. Our nation’s veterans comprise a small percentage of our population. You’ll find them
living and working in communities all across America. Most folks do not know the things they
may have seen...the holidays they spent away from their families and friends...the sacrifices
they have made. They are patriots who would step up in a heartbeat to once again defend this
nation and our freedoms. Whether they served a few years or made a career of the military,
they call each other brother and sister. Having spent 24 years in the USAF, another 16 years
working for the USAF, and living in the shadow of Fort Bragg, NC for the past 34 years I have
had the distinct honor and pleasure to get to know and work with many of my brothers and
sisters from all branches of the military.
Unfortunately, through this same experience, I have learned that things like veteran
homelessness...PTSD...and veteran suicide are very real.
Off Road Outreach NC is a local organization that strives to assist veterans experiencing these
and other issues. They are dedicated to serving those who served our country through various
programs such as:
Homeless Veterans Outreach – provides assistance to include mobile showers, food, clothing
and access to essential services such as healthcare and transportation.
Veggies for Vets – strives to provide fresh, nutritious produce to veterans and their families
through community gardens.
Suicide Prevention – committed to preventing suicide among veterans by providing accessible
mental health resources, peer support services and suicide prevention activities.
These folks are awesome, they are committed to our veterans and do great work here in the
community. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to help them out through generating
awareness as well as raising some funds for them to continue their mission.
Off Road Outreach is an IRS registered and approved 501(c)3 non-profit, public charity
organization. All donations are tax deductible.
Take some time to check them out at www.offroadoutreach.com.
Y’all stay safe out there! Hoka Hey!
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