My name is Fletcher and I’ve been riding since I was a kid, everything from pedal bikes in the mountains of West Virginia to Ducati race bikes on the Autobahn in Germany. I was raised mostly in the backwoods of West Virginia and the sandhills of North Carolina. My first motorcycle was a Honda Trail 90 , which wasn’t really mine, it belonged to the neighborhood and whoever could take it home and had the parts to fix it. I continued riding motorcycles throughout my 20+ years in the military.
After my divorce in 2007, I bought a Honda VTX 1300 and started riding to clear my head, attending rallies along the East Coast and meeting other Veterans and a lot of cool people along the way. I met Chip Parisi, who told me about the vagabond lifestyle and the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. Chip’s story and the faith he found in himself while participating in the HHMC inspired me to take control of my life and become more independent. This chance encounter made me realize that the HHMC does for motorcyclists what I want to do for the veteran community by encouraging them to stop self-medicating and focus on building resilience and living a fulfilling life. With Chip’s mentorship I began to enjoy life again and he is right, the best counselor is the voice in your head as you rip down the highway not knowing where you’re going, leaving the past behind and making friends along way.
I was accepted for the 2022 Challenge and immediately started preparing myself for the ride of a lifetime by getting my mind and body back in shape. I’ve always had the “never quit” attitude and learned from the military “mission first, men always.” I started a FB page called Go Radar Go Fletcher (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082508049101&mibextid=ZbWKwL) doing live videos and written posts in an effort to inspire former service members and veterans to enjoy life again, as they watched me face my own personal demons, take control of my PTSD and overcome the harsh challenges of the HHMC. After completing the challenge, Dan Dyell said he was inspired by me and he soon became rider #1201. He has asked for my mentorship during his upcoming journey and here I am again. I will ride with him but this will be his spirit journey and his rebirth.
The charity I ride for is Alcovets.org, a dedicated non-profit organization passionately committed to providing unwavering support and assistance to service members and veterans.
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