Since childhood, if there was a new opportunity to explore, a risk to take, or chance to be spontaneous, Sandra, now 80, was all in. Her fearless spirit followed her into marriage, shaping years of first-time adventures with her husband.
As she grew older, the adventure of impacting young people became equally fulfilling to Sandra. She relished the memories created while raising three sons, alongside careers as a teacher and high school counselor. After retirement, a new door opened to her greatest adventure yet: life with her six grandchildren.
Regretting missing opportunity
Sandra wasn’t the only brave one in her family—she’d watched her brother’s passion for motorcycles blossom alongside her own fearlessness. When her brother finally was able to purchase a motorcycle of his own more than 25 years ago, he offered to teach Sandra to drive it. But by then, at age 55, the challenges of life had caused Sandra’s interest in risk-taking to diminish. She turned her brother down.
“I have always regretted declining that offer,” Sandra remembered. She told her husband that she hoped to have another chance to ride a motorcycle while she still could.
In 2021, Sandra’s husband of nearly 50 years passed away unexpectedly after surgery, leaving a profound void in her life. Shortly after, she moved alone into the new home the two of them had planned to live in together, while the weight of loneliness weighed on her days. She tried to stay strong, but unfamiliar surroundings and health challenges of her own cast a dark shadow over her life.
Sandra thought back on the missed opportunity to ride a motorcycle so many years before and vowed to make it happen. “As I age, I notice my energy and interest levels are declining. Rather, as I grow older, I want to grow bolder,” Sandra said. “I desire to enjoy life and the world in general.”
A second chance to ride
A staff member at Upslide, an organization for active adults in Tallahassee where she lives, helped Sandra complete a wish application, requesting that her dream of riding a motorcycle might be fulfilled. Wish of a Lifetime was excited to help Sandra feel the rush of adrenaline she had been missing for far too long.
Sandra traveled to Daytona Beach during Biketoberfest weekend, where members of the Daytona Beach Harley Owners Group (HOG) took her under their wing and made her an honorary member. Jackie, a member of Daytona Beach HOG, drove Sandra on the ride of her life while her family, hotel staff, other Daytona Beach HOG members, and local Teddy Morse’s Harley-Davidson staff cheered her on. The ride included a stop at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum, followed by a celebratory lunch with family. The following day, Sandra and her family enjoyed a visit to the Daytona International Speedway.
When she returned home to Tallahassee, Sandra’s friends at Upslide and Wish of a Lifetime volunteers celebrated her accomplishment, while she shared her experiences with the group.
“I absolutely enjoyed the motorcycle ride and the scenery to the lighthouse,” Sandra said. Thank you for everything you did in making my dream come true.”
And Sandra hopes that, with her family’s help, there might be more rides in her future. “I want my sons to go to motorcycle school so they can learn to ride and drive me around,” Sandra added. “I need to save my money!”
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