From Suicidal to the Hoka Hey: My Story of Survival, Rescue and Adventure

What is the Hoka Hey?

The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge (https://www.hokaheychallenge.com) is a motorcycle endurance challenge that tests the physical, mental, and emotional boundaries of the riders. The challenge is limited to riders of American-made V-twin style motorcycles and consists of riding approximately 10,000 miles across the continent, mostly on two-lane roadways, with minimal freeway riding. The riders are given directions from one location to the next, and they cannot use a GPS, communications or stay indoors during the challenge. The challenge is not a race, but a personal journey of discovery and transformation. The 2024 challenge will start on August 4th, from Daytona Beach, and end in Homer, Alaska.

The Crisis

In January of 2022 the depression that I had been struggling with most of my life caught up with me. To be honest, this was only the second time in my life that I couldn’t feel the presence of God on me. I sincerely don’t understand how anyone can live without it. I know I didn’t want to. My whole world seemed to collapse like a house of cards. I thank God today for my wife, who encouraged me to get help. This led to me being put in the hospital (psych ward) for several days. Of course, all this terrified her and my friends, who couldn’t believe that didn’t see this coming.

My first day in the hospital I isolated myself. I was feeling so guilty, so lonely, and so abandoned. After I got tired of wallowing in my self-pity (about half the day), I realized I wasn’t going to get better this way. I went to dinner and asked if I could sit next to someone that was sitting by themselves and my wall started to crack. After dinner I found a Bible. I didn’t know where to start, so I just started with Psalms 1 and started praying through the Psalms. God met me there in the darkness and the light He gave me I was able to share with several others while I was there. God renewed my calling, my purpose and began restoring my spirit. By the time I came home, I was determined that I was not going to cope with my depression but heal.

The Journey Back

While in the hospital, the Dr put me on anti-depressants. My primary care doctor continued to work with me until I got in to see the psychiatrist that they recommended. I also started seeing a therapist regularly. I went through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), multiple changes in medications and a couple of different therapists until we found the right combination. If something didn’t seem to work, I would seek the Lord and my Doctors and find the right combination. With the help of God, the many people that loved and supported me and a team of professionals I started getting better. My hope had been restored while in the hospital, but I was becoming mentally healthier every day.

Shortly after I got out of the hospital, the company that I work for changed the vacation policy to Designated Time Off. When the policy came out, I was talking to one of my colleagues about some of the things that I always wanted to do but was afraid I was getting too old for some of them and the Hoka Hey was one of the items on my list. With the new DTO policies fresh in our minds, he encouraged me to not wait and pursue it. With his encouragement it became a target to focus on.

The first time I heard of the Hoka Hey was around. 2015 while at Sturgis. A buddy of mine and I were walking around the main drag and saw someone wearing the Hoka Hey Patch, which I had not seen before. Being someone that likes to learn about everything, this led me to asking questions about what it was.

Time to Get into Shape

I knew I would have to get in better shape than I was, at this time my weight about 275 lbs. and I was used to sitting behind a desk or in a recliner all day. My experience in riding several Iron Butts had taught me that I would not have the endurance that it would take to take on the Hoka Hey, but I was not going to keep living a life to get by from day to day and let all my dreams slip away to time. I was determined that I would do everything I could to get to the finish line of the next Hoka Hey, and if it was God’s will, I would achieve it.

The first thing I did was start losing weight, again I sought help. I entered a weight loss program and today I am 190 lbs. and 6’1″ tall. I still have some work to do as far as building strength and endurance, but I am on my way, so last year I submitted my application for the 2024 Hoka Hey Challenge. I was accepted and am rider #1173!

Come join me as the journey continues….

Some future topics will include posts about preparations for the Hoka Hey, more detailed info about my experience, posts from the road, and much more. Please feel free to make suggestions in the comments.