My name is Victor Steel. I'm 66 years old, and have been riding motorcycles since I was 14. I was born & raised in Alaska, and I could get my motorcycle permit at 14 but couldn't get a driver's license until 16—so I rode year-round in Anchorage on my Suzuki 185! I now ride a Harley bagger (and a Fat Boy when I feel like just a nice cruise), and have done many long rides, including a 10,000 mile ride to Alaska from Arizona and back, but nothing like the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.
The Challenge represents an opportunity for me to see how deep I can reach, how much courage I can muster, and how much strength I can find to keep going when all I can think of is quitting. I realize this will be my biggest challenge yet, and I hope to not just find my limits, but push through and expand them, to know that I can do more. If successful, I will have exceeded my subconscious self-imposed limitations, and by meeting this challenge, I will know that I can take on challenges in other aspects of life that seemed unsurpassable.
I am not a veteran. Every day I give silent thanks to those veterans who served in order to provide us with the freedom that we enjoy. These veterans gave so much, and we who benefitted from their service need to give back. Unfortunately, many veterans cannot come back from battle and reintegrate into our society, and some (22 veterans per day, according to a 2012 study) take their own lives as a result. There are many reasons for this, but one major reason is related to Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI. I am supporting "The 22 Project" to help reduce the number of veteran suicides. The 22 Project helps those veterans suffering from TBI with Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT), which has been shown to improve blood flow in certain parts of the brain, allowing the veteran a number of benefits, including restful sleep, improved focus, and improved mood. Over 300 veterans have been served with this treatment, and they report better sleep, better moods, less thoughts of helplessness—all things that lead to thoughts of suicide. Go to their website at Support22Project.org to learn more about how they are using today's technology to help heal our nation's veterans. This is a quote from their profile on Candid.org: "The 22 Project, Inc. is a registered Non-Profit 501(c)(3) organization that is dedicated to reducing veteran suicides by using Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) imaging technology and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to treat veterans diagnosed with conditions known to contribute to suicide; specifically, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and their sequelae."
I have long felt that losing 22 soldiers each day to suicide is a travesty. I've supported the Veteran's Suicide awareness efforts in several ways in the past; supporting the “Ride for 22” in Idaho which is a fundraiser and is typically very well attended, also supporting awareness by donating to our local college for a memorial. This challenge gives me the opportunity to make an even bigger difference with physical treatment for those veterans losing the battle with TBI and PTSD.
The donations will be provided directly to The 22 Project, where 94% of all monies go directly to veteran support. The support includes cost for HBOT at the providers used by The 22 Project as well as travel for those veterans to the sites where treatment can be provided. The 22 Project also collaborates with external programs to provide counseling and support services.
If you would like to contribute to my effort to support this charity and help stop Veteran Suicide, please click on this link: The 22 Project Donations
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