Let’s Tee This Up - ITS MORE THAN A RACE
At 65 years old, I plan to race the 2026 Baja 1000 as a solo motorcycle rider in the Ironman class. I’ve
tried before—twice—more than eight years ago, and failed both times. If I finish this time, I’ll become
the oldest person to ever complete the race in the nearly 60-year history of the event.
But the real question isn’t what I’m doing…It’s why.
That’s a fair question—and an important one. This is actually a very spiritual story that happens to
include racing the longest continuous off-road race in the world. A story about an old guy attempting
the Ironman class in Baja might be mildly interesting, maybe even inspirational, but not necessarily life
changing. On its own, it could easily look like an ego trip.
This isn’t that story.
The back story matters. A story grounded in a God who is bigger than fear, failure, and personal
limitation—and rooted in an eternal perspective that transcends this life’s challenges—is worth telling.
At least, it has been worth living. My hope is that it’s worth following.
And then there’s purpose. Whether we realize it or not, we cannot live well without it—at any age. The
struggle for those of us later in life is reflection. We look back at missed opportunities and convince
ourselves it’s too late. Our identity gets tangled up in our work, our health, or our accomplishments.
When those fade or disappear, we’re left asking, Now what?
This journey became my answer to that question. That’s why this is far more than a race. It’s a pursuit of
purpose much bigger than myself - something every one of us needs, whether we admit it or not.
Ironically, racing the Baja 1000 solo was never my desire. I don’t even like endurance sports. The only
runner’s high I ever experienced was when I stopped running. Still true today. Yet in 2016, I felt clearly
called to pursue this—training for the 2017 Baja 1000, the race’s 50th anniversary. I expected success. I
believed the calling guaranteed it.
Instead, I failed. And then I failed again.
Life rarely takes the shortest path between two points—especially when God is at work. Nearly ten
years later, what I thought I had disqualified myself from, came roaring back...ironically through the
death of a dear friend. That calling is what drives this story. And if you’ve ever felt pulled toward
something hard, meaningful, or unfinished, I want to share my story with you.
