11
WHEEL WORLD NEWS
February 2018
My hospital release was followed by a few years of doctor follow-ups and tests, and a rather normal childhood otherwise. I played baseball & basketball, rode bicycles, hiked, and as I grew, I got into riding and modifying ATV’s & dirt bikes, and CARS. Luckily, my parents were the type who if you wanted something, you worked for it. So, I started working when I was about 9 years old. I delivered Eggs straight from a local farmer to people in my neighborhood. I then acquired an evening news paper route when I was 11, and added a morning news paper route shortly before age 12. I saved up enough money that by the time I was 14, I had over a dozen bicycles, 2 ATV’s, an assortment of mechanics tools, a 1980 K5 Chevy Blazer with a plow, and my brother & I bought a new 1989 Thompson 200 Carrera boat. I even lent him money to buy a 16-ft open trailer when he started his Landscaping business in 1987. I then worked for him at a very nice hourly rate! I was making money every legal way I could.
Continued...
My teen years were awesome. I stopped playing sports and worked a lot, partied on my boat, and had a ton of fun with my cars & motorcycles. That was what I liked and that is all I wanted to do. So, In the fall of 1994 while I was watching motorcycle racing on TV, I saw a commercial for Motorcycle Mechanics Institute here in Phoenix. It wasn’t long before I packed my stuff and moved to Phoenix! My mom and grandmother drove out with me and helped me settle in before they drove back to NY.
I was in remission about 6 weeks later, at which time I returned home to my family.