Ohio man completes 10,000 mile motorcycle challenge to help fellow veterans

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) – An Ohio man has completed a 10,000 mile motorcycle challenge — and he did it all with the goal of helping veterans.

Patrick Romeo, who is a veteran himself, first completed the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge in 2020. After completing it once, he did not think he would do it again.

Then, 988 became the suicide and crisis lifeline. Coincidentally, 988 was also the rider number he was given in 2020 and will keep for life. So he decided to take part in the challenge again this year.

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“To me, just more than a coincidence, that was a sign,” he said. “When 988 came out, that’s the first thing I thought of was that was my number. I can’t think of a better way to help our veterans and help promote it than riding across the country with it plastered on my windshield and working with Resurrecting Lives Foundation (RLF) and getting the word out.”

To successfully complete the challenge, participants are not allowed to use GPS and must sleep outside with their motorcycles. They also have to raise money for a charitable foundation. Romeo chose RLF, which works to lower the veteran suicide rate.

“The fact he has chosen to do this for us again is just the most magnificent gift we could ever ask anybody to do,” Dr. Chrisanne Gordon, RLF’s founder, previously told NBC4.

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On this most recent journey, Romeo said he had to ride through 15 hours of rain in the beginning. Later on, he also ran into intense fog and smoke from wildfires.

“This time it really wasn’t so much about the ride, I had already done that once, this was really about 988 and about our veterans,” he said.

He said there were times he thought about dropping out of the challenge but was reminded of the mission. Loved ones sent encouraging text messages to help him keep going.

“The one that hit me — my son-in-law, who is a combat veteran, he texts me, ‘I’m sure there’s  a lot of veterans that would like to quit right now, but isn’t that what RLF and 988 is for and why you’re doing this run,'” Romeo said. “And he said, ‘You still got a few miles to go, don’t quit early.”

You can find out more about RLF and donate to Romeo’s cause here.

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