Dorothy: [00:00:00] In our second half of Mike Hazelrig’s story, we’re going to hear more about the special people that helped him through his 11,000 mile motorcycle trip from one end of the United States to the other. And you’re going to learn why Mike feels like there’s still a lot of good people in this world, and we need to be watching for them, and we need to be those people. It’s a incredible story of a man who has had his life totally changed in his efforts to raise money for breast cancer.
When you subscribe to our show, you help us grow. Someone you know may need to hear this story. So please share with your family and friends and consider supporting our mission. Your donation can help save the life of an uninsured woman.
Let’s Talk About Your Breasts, a different kind of podcast presented to you by The Rose, a [00:01:00] breast center of excellence and a Texas treasure. You’re gonna hear frank discussions about tough topics, and you’re gonna learn why knowing about your breast could save your life.
So we’re back with Mike Hazelrigs, who has just finished the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge and covered the United States from Florida to Alaska all to raise money to help The Rose take care of women who are going through breast cancer. So Mike, we left our first session with you about to go into that last day of this 14 day ride, which not many people meet that 14 days. And what, what was it like? You’re going into Homer, Alaska. And it’s dark. It’s night, right?
Mike: It, it, we had, it had occurred throughout the day. So yes, it became night and we’d been riding in Alaska all day to get there. [00:02:00] And, uh, it was familiar territory. I used to hunt out of Sildatna on the Kenai Peninsula.
And as we, as we hit the peninsula, leaving, uh, Fairbanks to Anchorage, um, the sun was, it was kind of cloudy, overcast, stuff like that. And you go out around, uh, Cook Inlet and it’s just gorgeous. It used to be a lot more. But I still recognize some stuff. As the sun started going down, I thought Homer was close.
Homer was nowhere near close, you know, we clear Anchorage and we’re heading down and there’s traffic and you’re up against the water and the cliffs are against you to the left. And then the sun goes down and you realize, you know, we probably should have filled up at Anchorage instead of waiting for looking for gas.
Cuz I figured, well, surely it’s [00:03:00] built up somewhere around here. But there was one place with gas that we stopped that was probably 80 miles north of Homer and thank God they had gasoline. There’s a big party going on. Had nothing to do with anything that we were doing. Just everyone gathered, they were having a good time. and we were there to get gas so, worked out good, had to get the pump turned on and uh, motored on down the road. Well, as evening continues, gets darker and darker, of course, we have to get construction most of the way.
So, uh, we’re entering these, these gravel roads, um, interspersed with broken up asphalt and they’re marked pretty good with, with stuff. But we also know, hey, it’s getting really close to midnight. And if we want to make, uh, uh, this goal of being a, um, forgot what it’s called now.
Dorothy: Your elite.
Mike: Elite rider. Thank you so much. [00:04:00] Uh, we better get going. So we, we sped up more and more and it seemed like hundreds of miles. And I know it wasn’t, but it was at least a hundred. Um, all the signs would say Homer 26 miles. And the next sign would say like Homer 36 miles. And then the next time it’d be Homer. It, it, But realize mentally, we’re not 100 percent there either.
It just seemed like it wasn’t ever going to get there. So finally we see this, you come over a hill and Homer lights and stuff. Well, this gotta be it. And we knew we had to make it through town. Take a left, go out on the spit, and you’ve seen the spit if you’ve ever watched Deadliest Catch and stuff like that.
It’s just a bunch of shops on one road. Usually there’s a bunch of eagles and everything during the day. And you go to the very end and there’s a cul de sac with, uh, by the Salty Dog Lighthouse. And you gotta make a turn in that cul de sac and come back to Main Street and take a left and that’s [00:05:00] where you finish.
But you also gotta finish over the line at Main Street which is a ditch and it’s big steel. Anyway. I’ll never forget that ride. That is the best we’ve ever ridden. Uh, We had cars right behind us that appeared, and this is in the middle of the night, midnight, that appeared that in my mind were, okay, they’re keeping the cops at bay and we’re just blasting through town and everything.
And we made it. The clock actually turned over as my front tire stopped. And we made Elite Rider that close.
Dorothy: Oh my gosh.
Mike: And. I can’t say enough for my best friend and writing buddy, um, Craig Metcalf, Taz. We had no idea what we were getting into. We had no earthly idea. We just came up from Texas and wanted to see what it was all about. And to make Homer, um, as an elite rider. And, and there’s far more elite riders than we are, but. [00:06:00] It’s a big deal to us.
Dorothy: Oh, absolutely.
Mike: That was a win to us.
Dorothy: Congratulations. I mean, really. You know, you had your team here watching you. That next morning, everybody, those emails were flying, and here’s another picture, and here’s another story. We were so proud of you. We were just like, giddy, giddy.
Mike: Well, and so were we. But, but to be greeted by people at midnight that you knew and respected and, and, uh, Patrick Cronell reaching over and telling us both, welcome to the big dysfunctional family. And, and Beth giving us hugs and just and, and Mike Womack who we had ridden with 99 percent of the time, who had to replace his bike mid ride because his other one failed. Um, Just there’s so many stories with it all and to all be together. Um, I’ll never forget.
Dorothy: And Mike, you know, you were describing some of the riders. Do your, you’re all, uh, it costs a [00:07:00] lot to do this.
Mike: Yes, ma’am.
Dorothy: And you have to have a certain kind of bike. And, and, I know you were describing them all kind of like you, who at this time in your life, you’re just doing something that you want to do for charity. I mean, I keep having this vision in my head of, you know, these people that you would never expect to be the ones to go and raise money.
Mike: And I think that goes back to what Jim intended. He wanted warriors. He wanted warriors to go out and do these kind of things to bring it back to the community, to build the community.
And I think once you reach an age of maturity and people get it at different times. First off, you have the financial means more than anybody going through, you know, child. There’s a few people with young kids and all the respect in the world to them. I don’t know how they do it. But you reach the point in your life where Money’s important, but it’s not the important thing anymore.
[00:08:00] What’s important is, you know, I don’t want to say a legacy, but what’s important is doing something for myself that I feel like I’m doing something for others. And I think that’s, if you put that whole group together, every one of them, it isn’t about ourselves. We’ll get a neat patch. That’s what we get out of it.
If you talk about money, I don’t even want to add it up. I mean, just start with a bike because I wouldn’t have bought that bike otherwise, but the experiences and the stories that we can go out in the community and share with, you know, you need to know everything we hear about politics and everything is not what matters. People, it isn’t. It’s the people.
Dorothy: It’s the people.
Mike: And the people are good.
Dorothy: Yes. There are so many good people in the world. And you’ve seen them.
Mike: Seen them.
Dorothy: Yeah. You know, Mike, you’re totally different. I mean, I mean, you were great before this trip, but gosh, it’s like [00:09:00] you’ve become the wise person. It’s like something inside you has shifted.
Mike: We’ve been told that all along with this event, that would happen. And I think it goes back to, I know a lot of the armed forces do the same thing and break people down and build them back up type thing. But I think we are so insulated from the real world, living our daily lives, going to work, doing the things that we think we’re supposed to be doing, that we have no earthly idea about the world and people and cultures and stuff. And until you’re forced to be out in that, and until you’re forced to be in a vulnerable position when you’re out in that, uh, I don’t think you could do this thing in a car and get the same thing out of it. I don’t even know most people could drive 11,000 miles in 14 days in a car. Um, But you’re out in the elements and, um—
Dorothy: But there’s something [00:10:00] that to me feels healing about what you did.
Mike: It is, it puts everything out on the table and you get to assess the things that really matter after that. I know I’m going to come back and I’m going to be, In a much better position with dealing with what Kathy’s going through.
Dorothy: Right.
Mike: I know that I can come back and be a much better father to my daughter I know I can come back and maybe be the wise sage for you know the next generation of people that’ll do Hoka Hey or whatever what I really want to do is somehow move this into some kind of training for women motorcyclists because to me, they’re so much more open and, and willing to learn than— guys, we know everything. We don’t need help, you know, like that. But I’ve seen the most badass and don’t cut that word, women, in this world that I’ve hung out [00:11:00] in, that I have more respect for than 90 percent of the population that I want, I want to build that. I think that’s, if I can be of any kind of tool for that, I’d love to do it.
Dorothy: Oh, I think you’re going to do it. I think already you are an inspiration. I mean, you know, when you came to us and said this is what you’re going to do, we’re going, oh yeah, right. No, we didn’t quite do that.
Mike: I had the good intentions.
Dorothy: We knew you did, but suddenly we all here at The Rose got the Mike fever. I mean, I don’t know any other way to put it. And it was because you were doing something for Kathy. That you couldn’t do for Kathy. It’s so wrapped up in, you know, with her having metastatic breast cancer, and she knows what’s ahead of her, you know what’s ahead of her. Anyone that’s ever been in a breast cancer role knows what’s ahead.
And yet, I remember when you talked to us before, you said, I can’t help Kathy, but [00:12:00] maybe this will help somebody else. And that was like, all of a sudden, everything came together. It’s kind of what you’re saying about life and people. We have had so many people raise money for us that we didn’t even know. And suddenly we’re able to help other women. Suddenly we’re able to serve more. And you just have no idea what that means. These stories are wonderful. But I also don’t want us to forget why you did it and how important it is to The Rose to have that kind of fundraising going on, which people can give to the end of the year, right?
Mike: Oh, they can give forever as far as I’m concerned. Uh, just to tie, to, to emphasize what you just said, one of the, and, and there’s a bunch of graphic companies online that you use for stickers and everything else, but I think that it all summed up to me. When I had one created for the back of my top box, it said, I ride, so— [00:13:00] I ride so she can live, and that’s not just Kathy. So those flags were over the top of that.
Dorothy: And I rem —, and you said—
Mike: Stupid Alcan Highway, and everywhere else.
Dorothy: You said that the one with The Rose, uh, our logo on it, you said it was white, and now it’s a little, a little, uh— what?
Mike: It looks like charcoal.
Dorothy: Yeah, well, okay, but think of the miles it’s been through, think of it. And the yellow scarf is something that is very, precious, now tell us the story behind it.
Mike: So, when I first knew of the Hoka Hey Challenge was in Galveston in 20, it was either 13 or 15. And I saw that scarf, not that particular one, but one just like it. And I thought, well, that’s cool. So I went back and I read up on what the Hoka Hey Challenge was and they had just started out, and I want to say three years before, something like that. And to me, this was like the epitome of [00:14:00] riders in the world. I mean, when you read the resumes of the people that started this and the intent and everything else, this was supposed to be a totally unique thing about getting people out into the community to serve the community and, and become better riders and become warriors and everything.
To me, this was so far beyond the reach of immortal, you know, I, I had never, ever thought that I’d be able to participate in something like that. I just fancy myself as I like motorcycles. Um, I’ve had one of those now for since I applied for Hoka Hey, there was one left in their store. And when we were down in Florida, I had an opportunity to pick up a couple more.
And Because that was so coveted by me and it was so hard to get for so long, cause I was looking for a bunch more cause I thought, Hey, that’s cool. I can carry it on the bike, you know, blah, blah, blah. I want to make sure that that goes with the [00:15:00] other stuff and we’ll have something here to remember that somebody cared.
Dorothy: Yeah.
Mike: Make a difference.
Dorothy: I don’t, I don’t think there’s going to be many of us that forget Mike and forget this ride.
Mike: I apologize in advance.
Dorothy: And, and you know, no, no, no. But more importantly, the women that will help who will never have a chance to meet you. And you will never have a chance to meet them. But just think what you’re doing and what you’ve done and, and continue to do. On another note, I want you to tell us about this little guy. And I, and I know we’re going to get cameras to, you know, go in on him, but tell us what this meant.
Mike: So, most of the riders have stickers. Uh, y’all have seen mine with Track and Squatch and stuff like that. And that started out as, as part of the whole fundraiser effort and stuff. Then that went to the dot com. Uh, or dot card, uh, sticker that has all my links for like our podcasts and everything else. And [00:16:00] those are big and they’re on my bag and you get some of those and stuff. But all riders have swag, not all, a good number of them do.
And it’s usually some stupid little goofy thing. And, uh, These things become so coveted because it’s like, I guess it’s like the Jeep community with the ducks, which I’ve been told we’re stupid to give out because it’s supposed to be a Jeep thing, but I did it anyway. Cause it had the rose or the pink ribbons on it. And they were easy to get, but these little squatches I found online. And since that was my road name, I thought, well, I’ll just pick up a couple of these. Well, I placed an order and it’s like 10 per bag and I think I got two bags. And then I found out that no, I needed about five more bags. So there’s these little squatches all over and people are just crazy about a stupid little plastic thing.
And shout out to Chris Hopper for putting it on his ox tank and not letting me give him another one. He has to keep repairing the one that. Breaks his legs [00:17:00] and stuff like that. But that squat has seen some miles. But I’m just tickled that, you know, if we make each other happy. And it’s such a little token and, and so easy. So I figured, hey, I’ll leave some here too. But that’s just, we do weird things to support each other.
Dorothy: Mm-Hmm.
Mike: And, um, I don’t think you’ll see bigger hugs between riders than you’ll see between people in Hoka Hey. It’s family.
Dorothy: You know, you talk about little things. That’s really what life is all about. It’s that little thing someone gave you that you love.
Mike: Yeah.
Dorothy: Yeah. Keep Forever.
Mike: They gave us a really cool coin for our ride that has a Chanique Galli, which is With Gratitude, With Thanks, was the theme of this ride, and Hoka Hey on one side and the other, and it’s a I should have brought it, but it’s going, that’s going in my safe or some place that I’ll never be without. But even Challenge Coins and stuff like that, [00:18:00] they have those with the, with the QR codes and stuff. So we give each other tokens. And, uh, I was just talking to one of the ladies that’s in charge of Mile Monsters, plug for them too, she’d given me a little fabric heart and, uh, I took that up to Alaska and I’ve got, you know, little fur tails and some other stuff. Um, one of the little, little boys that is going through, um, Duchenne’s right now is called the goat and he’s out of Shirts, Texas. And so I found some blue goat eyes. So, Gavin rode with me all the way to Alaska. He doesn’t even know that yet, but it’ll come out on podcast.
So, um, we just do these little things, these talismans and stuff, because it’s a dangerous occupation, whatever you want to call it. And you never know, [00:19:00] but that goes back to Hoka Hey, it’s a good day to die if you’re ready for it. I see the look on your face. We’ve had this discussion.
Dorothy: I know, but I, you know, it’s different now.
Mike: It is.
Dorothy: It is different.
Mike: If you have gone through this ride, and you’ve been able to examine your life, and you understand that it’s the people, it’s not all the things that upset us and everything else, and your life is right, then.
Dorothy: It’s that connection.
Mike: It’s okay.
Dorothy: Yeah. Yeah, it’s that connection. Oh, you’ve just brought so much to us today, Mike. You really, really can’t imagine how —
Mike: scary, hairy, dirty tattooed bikers can have any depth.
Dorothy: Can have such an impact on the community. And that’s, that’s what I think every part of that ride was.
Mike: Absolutely. And if you take the It’s a Good Day to Die and apply it to the breast cancer story and everything else, [00:20:00] we’re never guaranteed tomorrow. Whether you’re a caretaker or you’re the, the, the patient, whatever. But get your stuff right. It’ll be okay. It’s not over. It’s never over.
Dorothy: No, no. What a joy to be able to talk to you. I want you to talk about your homecoming. I mean, you’ve only been home, what, two days, three days?
Mike: Monday? Tuesday? Sorry, I’m looking over there. I’m probably not supposed to. That’s okay. I’m a biker. I don’t follow rules. Uh, so. Uh, Kathy, pick me up at the airport, uh,—
Dorothy: 13 hour ride, yes, in an airplane, yes.
Mike: When you’re 6’4 and my size, which by the way, that’s a good way to lose weight. If you’re ever on a journey to lose weight, not that you would be, but I found that I’d lost 25 pounds eating roller dogs and stuff, um, which is a tiny amount, but it’s a start. 13 hours in a plane. [00:21:00] Oh, it’s awful. Get home and, and Kathy picks me up at the airport and we’re inches away from turning the corner.
And she says, Oh, by the way, there may be a surprise. Cause she knows how I am about. Not good with surprises and stuff. And as she said that, I looked out the street. It’s like, why are there people in front of my house? And so we drive up to a cheering squad and, and the congrats sign is still out in the front yard.
I’m hoping my neighbors see it. Well, I know they will. And they’ll wonder, what is this? First off, I haven’t seen Mike because I’m, private. None of their business. But also, uh, only one of my neighbors knew what I was doing anyway. So, I’m sure there were questions, and I’m sure I’ll hear about them eventually, but it was so heartwarming to, I guess, I wasn’t looking for recognition or anything like that, but to feel like maybe I’d made a [00:22:00] difference and it was appreciated. That made a big deal to me and the sign’s still up.
Dorothy: Definitely you made a difference and definitely we appreciate it. Mike, we want to have you back. We know, we know.
Mike: Does that mean I got to do this again?
Dorothy: You have more stories to tell us. Yes. Yes, we hope you will.
Mike: Oh, I thought you meant the whole Hoka Hey thing.
Dorothy: Oh, well, you might do that too. I have no doubt.
Mike: I can’t see how anybody could not do it again.
Dorothy: Oh, wow.
Mike: It’s, it’s one of those things that it changes your life and, and, um, I think everybody needs that. I don’t know how it could be moved into some more common platform, but everybody needs to re examine their life. And define priorities and realize we are on the wrong path. We are so totally on the wrong path. I don’t think this was the [00:23:00] intent for where we’re supposed to be.
Dorothy: That’s right. Thank you for reminding us, sharing, helping us to see that. That’s, this has been a And pink! Thanks so much. This has been such a great episode. You know, prayers for Kathy.
Mike: Thank you. Always appreciated.
Dorothy: That’s it for, for us today with Mike and his incredible story of all those miles. What was it you said? It’s not the miles we travel, but what’s inside those miles.
Mike: Thanks
Dorothy: again, Mike.
Mike: Thank you.
Dorothy: So, if you’d like to help Mike and help us take care of uninsured women, then follow the link that’s in our show notes and it’ll tell you just how to donate.
Post-Credits: Thank you for joining us today on Let’s Talk About Your Breasts. This podcast is produced by Speke Podcasting and brought to you by The Rose. Visit therose. org to learn more about our organization, subscribe to our podcast, share episodes [00:24:00] with friends, and join the conversation on social media using #Let’sTalkAboutYourBreasts. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Consider supporting The Rose. Your gift can make the difference to a person in need. And remember, self care is not selfish, it’s essential.
