Dec 2020 Rider Of The Month

Topic starter 11/30/2020 8:03 pm

Rider of the month

December 2020

David Ryan 638G

58 intermediates

AGE: 58

BIKE: 2018 Honda 450

It was, Saturday evening at the LACR track on August 1st 2020.

The day before, the gang was scheduled to race on the main track at LACR.

David Ryan had been practicing most of the day learning the track's doubles.

Dave was ready for the race and on the next day .Dave went 1-1 in the 58 novice class.

He made the doubles look easy and shortly after that race, he moved himself up into the intermediates.

However, he remembered, the jumps were not so easy a few months earlier.

Back then, Dave would not have even attempted those jumps in the condition that his body was in.

Back then he didn't have the strength to even stand for a few minutes.

Few riders knew that Dave was just coming back from some difficult times.

Dave had just recently recovered from cancer. Going through chemotherapy and radiation made

him extremely sick and he really just wanted to die. He had faith in the Lord and the Lord kept him here on this earth.

Dave's weight was down to 135 pounds from 185. He was all skin and bones. Cancer had taken

nearly 50 pounds of muscle. Dave slowly pieced each day together, even eating solid foods was very difficult.

His lovely wife of 20 years Deb, also helped to get him through the tough times by reading inspirational stories

of other sports figures that had gone through cancer and returned to sports like Lance Armstrong .
He slowly gained his strength back and watched motocross videos through YouTube on his stationary bike.

God said it wasn't his time yet. God had left him here on earth and he knew it wasn't his time and that he had more work to do.

Dave said, "I felt a little like Trey Canard " who got landed on when a banner rolled into his spokes at the L.A. Supercross.

Dave kept tabs on Trey Canard's recovery. Dave knew he could recover.

After some time on the stationary bike and even though none of his riding gear fit him anymore,

he went on to ride his Honda every weekend.His first race back was at the OTMX international in Arizona, February 2020

and finished next to last in the intermediate class with OTMX .

Dave said " it was a start back to racing and now, I'm having a blast...

I just wanna ride my motorcycle!"

Dave, why do you like to help the club?
Well, I guess that comes from my military days because of how we were trained.

We were given tasks that were impossible to accomplish alone or if only a few chipped in,

But when everyone chipped in things got done. That's what I think the OTHG needs now.

As each person chips in a tiny bit, then huge things can be accomplished If most people

help a little bit and show up to race the club prospers.

When did you start riding dirt bikes?

I started riding when I was about 10 years old. My first bike was called a Bannelli buzzer.

What was your next bike?
It was a Hodaka then a Penton. I rode the Penton in high school and raced MX and hare scrambles in Florida.

Then what happened?
Then I spent 6 years with the Air Force in SAC. When I returned to civilian life, I got a Kawasaki KDX 200 for

hair scrambles in the greater St. Louis area and a Honda CR 125 and 250 for motocross.

Later I purchased a YZ 250 for motocross and raced Arenacross for about 10 years. At age 40 I started racing with the

Oregon club at the Old-Timers races. In 2014 I moved to Palm Springs and joined the Over the Hill gang

OCCUPATION: Dave has spent 40 + years as an aircraft mechanic and has owned a motorcycle repair business part time on the side.

BEST BATTLES: With the OTHG, the best battles are going corner to corner for the whole moto.

Over the last few years Jesse Horne , Dennis Foster, and as of lately,

Chris Cumbo usually find each other on the track during the motos and have the most epic fun pushing each other from corner to corner.

SHOUT OUTS AND THANKS TOO: First and foremost Thanks be to God for each day he provides.

The entire cancer experience taught me that we only get life in about 3 minute chunks.

Live through this 3 minutes and you get 3 more. Don't waste them!!!

My wife for taking such good care of me. The people in your life matter so much and when your bodies check engine light comes on that is the time when family is everything.

I also want to thank all who put together and work the OTHG races.

There is so much fun and hanging out with the best folks on the planet!!!!

Congratulation!!