I
was born and raised in Texas, now living in southern Louisiana with my
beautiful and supportive wife, who made sure I stayed here. Anyone who
marries a Louisiana woman figures out pretty quick that you don’t really
leave — and if you do, you spend your time trying to get back. Life
down here is good. The people are solid, the food will keep you coming
back, and the roads will keep you honest. Potholes big enough to swallow
a wheel(just ask Old Man Pat Cornell), tar snakes that’ll move your
bike around just to keep things interesting, and gravel where it
shouldn’t be — if you can ride the back roads in Louisiana, you can ride
just about anywhere. I’ve been on two wheels most of my life. For a
long time it wasn’t for fun, it was just how I got around. I bought my
first street bike the day I left for college, and before long I was
riding state to state just to see what was out there. The first time you
head down the road alone with everything you own strapped to the bike,
something changes. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.
I
first heard about the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge back in 2022 from a friend of mine and
he got accepted into the 2024 run but wrecked six weeks before the start
in another rally. He was heart broken and now I know why. Luckily he
will be on the starting line right next to me. While watching the 2024
run I knew right then it was my kind of ride. Long miles, simple rules,
no shortcuts, and nobody holding your hand. For most of my life work
kept the leash short, so every trip I took had to be quick — ride hard,
turn around, and get back in time to go to work. In 2024 I finally made a
change that gave me the time to do something I’d been thinking about
for years. My wife asked what I wanted to do first, and I told her I
wanted to ride the Hoka Hey. She said, “Go get it.” What draws me to
this challenge is that it feels like the way riding used to be. Paper
directions, sleeping where you land, fixing problems as they come, and
nobody to blame but yourself. I’ve always believed a man ought to test
himself once in a while, especially with something he chose on his own.
This is one of those tests. It won’t be easy, and that’s the whole
point.
I’m riding this challenge for Maddie’s Footprints Foundation. https://maddiesfootprints.org In
my work as an OB/GYN, I’ve seen the best days a family can have, and
I’ve seen some of the worst. Not every pregnancy ends the way it should,
and when loss happens, families need more than medicine — they need
support, understanding, and people who will stand with them when the
road gets hard. Maddie’s Footprints does exactly that. I currently work
as an OB/GYN hospitalist caring for high-risk mothers and babies, and
that work has shown me just how important it is that no family walks
through loss alone. The Hoka Hey is a tough ride, but it’s nothing
compared to what some of these families face. Every mile I ride is for
them, and for the people who help them keep going.
Donate: Maddies Footprint
I look forward to seeing yall at the starting line!
Tomcat #1287
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