Meet The New Rider # 1300 Leigh Dubie

 

Marine veteran, long-distance rider, and proud grandmother riding the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge for personal challenge and to support Hope4Veterans.

Greetings from Hoka Hey Rider #1300, Leigh Dubie, riding out of Macclenny, Florida. I am a retired United States Marine who served from 1984 to 2011, completing 26½ years of service. I grew up riding dirt bikes, but once I joined the Marine Corps, my riding took a back seat while I focused on my military career. My husband Chris and I raised three children and are now proud grandparents to five grandchildren.

 

After returning from Iraq in 2005, I realized how much I missed riding and decided it was time to get back on two wheels. With Chris’s encouragement, we bought our first Harley-Davidson together, a Heritage Softail. It didn’t take long before I realized I wanted a few more features for long-distance riding, and I eventually upgraded to a Road Glide Special.

 

Today, I continue to serve the Marine Corps as a government civilian. For the past seven years, I have been stationed in Hawaii, where I ride my motorcycle to work almost every day. When I come home to Florida, Chris and I ride across the United States together, each on our own motorcycles, exploring the country one mile at a time. Over the past decade, we have steadily increased our long-distance riding, often traveling from Florida to visit family in Michigan and taking multi-day trips across the country on two wheels.

 

Chris and I will both be participating in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. While we share a passion for riding, the challenge itself is an individual journey where each rider must rely on their own preparation, judgment, and determination.

 

 For me, this ride represents an opportunity to push beyond my comfort zone, trust the decisions I make along the road, and grow stronger through the experience. As part of this journey, I will also be raising funds and awareness for Hope4Veterans, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing isolation, suicide, and homelessness while supporting military women and their families through advocacy, peer support, and programs that promote self-sufficiency and stronger families.