I grew up on a horse farm in
northeastern Maryland. My neighbor had a mini bike and I wanted one too
so after about a month of nonstop begging, pleading and promising to do
all the barn chores. Mom and Dad finally got one for me. I rode it
everywhere on the farm and up and down the road when my parents weren't
home. This eventually lead to bigger and faster bikes, three wheelers
and then into motocross. It was a great outlet for teenage/high school
frustrations. I wasn't the best rider but I had my moments.
I joined
the US Navy a year after high school. I knew after the first week this
was a mistake, lol. A few short years later I was dealing with a lot of
left over stress from the Navy and needed a healthy outlet, I found an
old Honda Magna, got it running and hit the road. Shortly after I traded
it for a Honda Shadow and rode that bike everywhere. One spring day in
1995 I had three near misses with two cars and a semi and parked it and
never rode again. Fast forward to 2023, my brother tells me about the
Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, he was accepted to do it in '24. So he
buys his first Harley now there's a problem. He has three bikes in a one
car garage. A 2006 Honda VTX 1800N shows up in my garage. He gave me
the keys, good tag and insurance was up to date. He said "ride it to
keep the battery charged". It sat for weeks and didnt move. One day the
wife and kids were gone, I started it and I thought just a quick 10
minute ride around the block. Three hours later I'm rolling in the
driveway grinning like fool. That ride woke something up in me and it
showed me where the peace was hiding that my soul was longing for.
I
found myself glued to my brother's tracker for the '24 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. I'd watch a
few hours before work, periodically throughout the day and every
evening until he finished in Homer AK. I was obsessed.
I was accepted to ride in the '26 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge and was over the moon excited.
The charity I chose to fund raise for is called "For the Love of a Veteran".
They
offer free SGB treatment for veterans and first responders who suffer
from PTSD. I wanted to do more than just raise awareness but actually
offer more and this charity does exactly that. Its a game changer and
its giving Veterans their lives back. Help me save some Veterans one
mile at a time.
To make donations: For the Love of Veterans
I'm happy to have the opportunity to participate in this spiritual journey
with my brother Mike Clark (#1188) and all of my new Hoka Hey family.
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