Meet the Riders 2018 – Rally for Rangers

Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, Mongolia

Wesley Thornberry, Co-Founder

Wesley is a founding member of the Rally for Rangers Foundation. Since its inception, as an avid motorcyclist, Wesley spearheaded the Rally for Rangers (part of Blue Waves campaign by the Mongol Ecology Center), raised awareness internationally about the National Parks of Mongolia and rides in all rallies. Wesley works with Tom Medema in organizing the rallies.
Wesley is the founder of Trend Digital, www.trend-digital.com, that specializes in post-production imaging services for e-commerce clothing and fashion retailers. Wesley is also a photographer, adventurer and traveler and has documented the tribes of Omo Valley, Ethiopia to the nomadic shamans of Mongolia. His work can be seen at www.wesleythornberry.com. He currently lives in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Tom Medema

Tom Medema developed a passion for national parks at a young age on family vacations throughout the American west. This passion turned into a career as a park ranger spanning nearly 30 years. Tom is equally passionate about national parks and public lands around the world and has worked with parks and monuments in South America and Europe as a subject matter expert in the field of interpretation and education. The opportunity to support the protection of natural and cultural heritage of parks and protected areas around the world is an opportunity he is excited and humbled to be a part of.
Tom is a sports and outdoor enthusiast, spending much of his free time enjoying two-wheeled travel by mountain bike, road bike, and motorbike. Over the past 20 years he has owned Harley-Davidson and BMW bikes and is currently riding an F800GS on the back roads and trails of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia in preparation for the next epic and compelling adventure protecting the worlds special places one motorcycle at a time.

Mike Ferrell

Mike Ferrell is from Raleigh, NC and works in marketing for Lenovo. He’s also studying broadcast journalism at the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mike’s been fascinated with motorcycles since he was young but has only been riding the past eight years. His first bike was a Buell Blast, and after year of riding and learning, he upgraded to a Ducati 09’ GT1000 – a bike he still rides today. His passion for Ducati grew and in 2016 purchased a 10’ Multistrada 1200 ST for commuting and adventuring. Last summer, Mike and a buddy rode their motorcycles almost 5,000 miles in 11 days across 15 states, visiting several national parks.
Rally for Rangers is an incredible opportunity to combine many of Mike’s passions: traveling on two wheels, protecting natural resources and learning about other people and cultures. A moto journey across Mongolia is a once in a lifetime adventure and he feels honored to contribute to such a great cause – the rangers of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.

Anna Kim

Anna’s first foray into the two-wheeled world had a less than auspicious start when she whiskey throttled her rental scooter onto a sidewalk during her college fall break in the Bahamas. Nevertheless, she persisted. Upon moving to San Francisco at the age of 27, she purchased a used motorcycle and for weeks practiced riding around the empty streets at dawn. Motorcycling quickly became a passion of hers and before she knew it was commuting daily on a motorcycle, spending her weekends riding the back roads of the Bay Area, and boring all her very patient non-rider friends with nonstop chatter about bikes.
Anna works in construction robotics and when she’s not exploring California on her much-loved Street Triple R and trusty WR250R enjoys cooking, SCUBA, snowboarding, camping, traveling, and hosting pig roasts. She also recently launched a wine label called “Countersteer” and is excited to be able to combine her interests in wine and motorcycling (although obviously not at the same time).
Anna knew she wanted to participate in Rally for Rangers the instant she heard about the program through friends. Her first dual sport adventure, a 2,500-mile trip along the Carretera Austral to Ushuaia, was an unforgettable experience that opened her eyes to the joys of exploring the hidden corners of the earth on two wheels. Given the positive impact motorcycles have had on her life, she is particularly inspired by the mission of Rally for Rangers —to better the lives of those who are working hard to protect Mongolia’s natural resources—and is honored to have been chosen to take part in this year’s Rally.

Batjargal Khandjav

Growing up close to nature, on horseback – a common lifestyle aspect of Mongolian kids in a nomadic countryside, has inspired Batjargal to participate in this Rally and experience once again the freedom of the vast steppes.
It is a great honor for him to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime journey which will further strengthen both his personal and professional dedication and service aimed at protecting the environment.
Nothing could be more exciting than to ride a motorcycle all the way to the legendary Altai Tavan Bogd and hand it over to the local rangers who are wholeheartedly and proudly committed to protecting this pristine and spectacular national park.
Though not an expert rider, Batjargal is keen to take on the Rally for Rangers as a personal challenge and to make his contribution to the nature conservation efforts.

Lance Machovsky

Lance was born to be an adventurer. Early days in Minnesota with a pack of cousins on mini-bikes and fishing skiffs kindled a life-long love of the outdoors and passion for two-wheeled travel. Fishing led to climbing and after a stint in the Navy he became serious about alpinism. Climbing and skiing led to work as a guide in the US, Europe and Latin America. “I’ve been fortunate to spend time in so many wild places around the world. Preserving and protecting them for future generations is really important to me.” A 2004 trail ride down the Baja 1000 route cemented offroad enduro riding as his new passion.
“Some of my outdoorsy friends assumed that off-roading ran counter to conservation and stewardship of wild lands. My friend Kacey Smith, avid Baja rider and guidebook author calls herself a tree hugging dirt biker. That could be a tagline for Rally for Rangers!” Naturally, when Lance heard about the Rally for Rangers, he signed up immediately. Lance rode in the 2017 rally to Otgontenger and is excited to return to Mongolia in 2018. “Mongolia is one of those places that exists in our imaginations as the embodiment of wild and untamed. It’s worth saving.” Lance invites you to join this grass roots movement, where the simple gift of some little motorcycles pays such exponential dividends.

Paul Pennell

Paul was instilled with a love for the outdoors and public lands at a young age. He grew up hunting, fishing, and operating off-road vehicles with his father. These pursuits were put on the back burner during college and his twenties- sometimes life gets in the way. With a new career and more personal freedom, he’s ready to fully pursue these interests again and is excited to help others care for the great outdoors.
Paul currently takes frequent trips on his Triumph Street Scrambler to the mountains of North Carolina to enjoy “the twisties” and hammock camp with other riders. He is chasing the goal of visiting every U.S. National Park, either by motorcycle or in his Jeep. He is also getting more active in the overlanding community, volunteering at Overland Expos on both sides of the country.

Jessica Lewis

Jessica, born and raised in America’s Midwest, moved countries a few of times before settling in Australia; but she know it’s only temporary. Adventure, travel, epicurean meals, laughs, and adrenaline keep her going. Having ridden for only 7 years, on and off, motorcycles have played an important role in her life of thrill seeking because she loves spending time outdoors and keeping a healthy amount of dirt under her nails.
First hearing about Rally for Rangers got Jessica excited and anxious. Seeing a beautiful new country in the open air while giving back to the local community is what she found most valuable. Jess is looking forward to meeting everyone and creating amazing new memories!

Mike Patak

Mike Patak grew up in a small town in Upstate New York which produced tons of great memories with friends and family. The love of motorsports came early with minibikes, Yamaha 80 and micro cart. Mike also enjoyed the competitive days on the athletic fields and wrestling mat which led him to Slippery Rock State College and their wrestling team. It was here that he met his wife Cary and over the years raised 2 children in Albany, NY – Erik and Laura. Mike, Cary and children have a strong love and respect for the environment. They enjoy backcountry skiing, rock climbing, hiking, cycling and canoeing. Living in the Albany, NY area they frequent the Adirondacks, Catskills, Vermont Green and New Hampshire White Mountains. Mike established himself as a sales professional selling pharmaceuticals and medical device industry. Currently, he owns an Orthopedic Distributorship in the Northeast US area.

The products he sells improves the quality of life of individuals who are impacted by broken bones, cancer, sports injury and arthritis. Recently, while riding his mountain bike he broke his collar bone and had it plated however it didn’t stop him getting reacquainted with motocross. Keeping people in motion is one of Mikes passions. He learned about Rally for Rangers through his brother in law and RfRF co-founder Tom Medema. Mike is excited about being selected to participate in this endeavor to protect Mongolia’s natural resources along with supporting the rangers to do their honorable and worthy work.

Jeff Thresher

Jeff was born in a small town in Northeast Ohio with a sense of adventure in his veins. Freestyle skiing, BMX bikes and team sports kept him active throughout high school. The passion for skiing won out and he moved to Boulder, CO for college. Playing and competing in the mountains on skis and mountain bikes instilled a strong passion for the outdoors. After moving to Arizona, he purchased a slightly used DR350 and began exploring backroads and trails of the surrounding desert. He was hooked. His bikes evolved, KTMs filled the garage and trail riding became his focus. Extensive volunteer work on the Tonto National Forest helped him develop a clear understanding of the importance of responsible recreation on public lands.
His work planning and producing experiential marketing events for the automotive industry has taken him on adventures around the world. The only thing that fascinates him as much as exploring a new place is the machine that will take him there. One piece that has been missing from his travels is a sense of giving back and making some part of the world a better place. The opportunity to fill that void by helping the Park Rangers of the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park could not be passed up. He is grateful to have been chosen to join the 2018 Rally for Rangers team.
Jeff currently lives in Kirtland, OH with his wife Margaret and their chocolate lab Chance. His hobbies include motorcycle enduro racing, rally co-driving, skiing, biking and hiking.

John Gommans

John loves the outdoor environment and has spent his life living and working in it. Combining an exciting adventure with preserving the natural habitat flora and fauna whilst helping those who have the same ideal appeals to him. He is looking forward to seeing the country and experiencing the people and places in a way that most do not have the opportunity to do.
John has been riding motorbikes and quads and horses and all manner of equipment since he was a boy. He will probably not be at the front of the pack anymore due to the common sense that comes with age, but he doubts that he will be at the back. John appreciates the opportunity to participate. This is one of his local kangaroos who likes a biscuit and comes to see his family at home; he is about 6’ standing upright and 150lb with impressively big claws. He has his respect.

Bryon Majusiak

Growing up in Reno, NV, Bryon grew up taking full advantage of the outdoors. Hiking, camping, fly fishing, and mountain biking filled all of Bryon’s childhood and it wasn’t until he moved to Berkeley, CA that he got into motorcycles. While at the University of California Berkeley Bryon helped to build the worlds first autonomous motorcycle. Working on that project got him hooked on motorcycles for life. One bike led to 2, then 3 and is currently at 7, although most don’t currently work (but will soon). In 2013 he completed an Iron Butt ride around NV and looks for any opportunity to take on a new challenge or adventure on a motorcycle.
When not spending time working on motorcycle and cars, Bryon has a real job working at a company building agricultural robots.
After watching “The Long Way Round” Bryon put Mongolia on the top of his bucket list of places to travel. It was a quick decision to join Rally for Rangers after finding out he could ride motorcycles and do something valuable for the national parks of Mongolia.

Wes Paz

Raised in the rural Cascade Mountains near Walterville, Oregon, Wes grew up “in the wild.” He is the eldest son of an architect and an educator who moved their small family to a wilderness mountaintop to build their own home from lumber salvaged from a demolished saw mill. There was no running water in the home initially so bathing, regardless of the season, was done outdoors in runoff from a spring located on the property. Years later as a young teen, Wes acquired a dirt bike, essential transportation for gathering with friends. They spent countless hours riding together, exploring the many miles of logging roads connecting the local mountains.
Since those days in rural Oregon, Wes has enjoyed a life of discovery. A few notable adventures include climbing the highest peak in the Alps and bicycling across Europe. Early in his professional life, Wes worked as a photojournalist for nearly two decades covering some of the major news events of the late 1970s through 1990s. He later served as a managing partner in several technology and e-commerce startups. Wes joined Nordstrom.com in 2010 where he continues to serve as Director of Image Production.
Through the years, Wes has enjoyed serving as a youth mentor, volunteer, and advisor to a variety of non-profit and church groups.
Wes still cherishes the memories of his dirt bike-riding days in rural Oregon, and is eager to combine his affinity for adventure and the environment with the opportunity to serve the people of Mongolia and the larger community of those passionate to preserve our natural resources globally.

Patagonia Parks, Argentina

Wesley Thornberry, Co-Founder

Tom Medema

Erin Sills

Sills recently achieved yet another milestone in her illustrious career, setting three new records with her Hunter Sills Racing team on the Bonneville Salt Flats and El Mirage Dry Lake. Having lost her husband Andy Sills in 2015, Erin has rededicated herself to the life-long passion of riding that she shared with Andy, not only continuing to pursue the record book, but also becoming certified as an off-road instructor with Rawhyde Adventures. In conjunction with Trev Richter of Colorado ADV Moto, the two also launched “Race For Relief” to benefit The Motorcycle Relief Project, an organization that uses motorcycles to aid veterans suffering from P.T.S.D.”

Trev Richter

Trev Richter is from Colorado and grew up spending his free time hiking, climbing, and camping all over the western United States.
He has been on two wheels for most of his life, from BMX as a kid and motorcycles from his teenage years until now. “I have always wanted to combine my passions of camping, travel, and motorcycles, and adventure riding has done that for me! It’s amazing how many great people approach you when on a bike. In my opinion, it’s the only way to travel!”
Trev owns Colorado ADV Moto, a business that outfits motorcycles for adventure travel, is part of the marketing and rally team for Sena Bluetooth, and has been a coach and tour guide for Rawhyde Adventures since 2014.
He has extensive riding experience, having ridden many of the Backcountry Discovery Routes, Peru, and Baja in addition to scouting and leading tours. Trev also piloted The World’s Fastest BMW GS in land speed racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats and El Mirage, and will race the same GS in the Baja Rally in October 2018.
Once he learned of the Rally For Rangers, he knew he had to get involved. “I have always wanted to ride in Patagonia, and what better way than to do something great for people, and ride in such an amazing place?”

Mike Cox

Mike was born and raised in the rugged and isolated town of Atikokan in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. An area that has more dirt-roads than paved and more fresh-water than land. As the youngest five, his sister and brothers blazed countless trails through the jungle of life ahead of him. The one path where all four brothers converged was with a common passion for dirt biking. Mike cannot recall a time where dirt bikes were not a part of his life and now, fourty-some years later, the Cox brothers still bond through riding despite living in different parts of the country. Dirt-bikes cultivated a strong mechanical aptitude and the understanding of various complex systems which led to careers as both a marine mechanic and an IT specialist and website developer. Now living in Ottawa, Ontario, Mike spends his time between his family, his passion for dirt-bikes and music, and his work life.
“Dirt biking is one of my lifelong passions and it is an activity that stimulates the ongoing expansion of a uniquely evolving skill set. For example it forces a minimum level of physical fitness upon you. Riding is not much fun without physical endurance. Riding quiets the mind like a meditation. The past and future are suspended in favor of the immediate moment.”

Orlin Vladikov

Orlin is from Bulgaria and has been based in Singapore for the last 10 years. Since he was a little boy he has been genuinely passionate about motorcycles. He loves any type of riding – from trailing the jungles of Laos and Cambodia to touring along the twisties in Thailand and Malaysia, or going around the track at Sepang or Phillip Island. He enjoys nature, loves animals and wishes he had more time to contribute and give back to the environment. He lives with his girlfriend Lynn and their 2 cats – Michelin and DoobieWaffles.

Arlette Thibodeau

Arlette Thibodeau is new to motorcycles but already long on seat time; she’s laid down more miles in her first six months of riding than most people do in their first couple of years. A Bay Area native and solo road trip junkie, she loves throwing a pack with a sleeping bag, some decent coffee and and her national parks pass onto her KLR and and heading out to rediscover the familiar turf of California and the Southwest on two wheels. She’s already learned a ton about herself along the way, and accidentally tipped over her bike in an impressive number of counties and states.
Rally for Rangers speaks straight to Arlette’s boundless enthusiasm for wilderness conservation, adventure, people who enjoy challenging and not-always-fun kinds of fun, and a fledgling love for dirt riding, even though she still falls over a lot.

Elias Bikahi

Elias Bikahi became interested in participating in the Rally for Rangers after assisting with a fundraiser for fellow rider, Tom Medema. Watching the video footage of the rangers in Mongolia moved him to volunteer to ride a bike out to support these rangers who have devoted their lives to protecting the park. Offering the bike to help the rangers better preserve their park and forest and protect the land more efficiently is an important adventure for him.
He started riding in 1986, on beautiful, paved American roads – so the Patagonia landscape will be an exciting off-road challenge. Riding long distances with friends and taking in the scenery in remote areas is his favorite kind of riding.

Mike Kennan

Originally from the east coast, Mike is a freelance engineer based in Oakland, CA. He’s spent his entire career designing, building, and working with machines of all types. He thinks riding a motorcycle is the by far best way to enjoy the beautiful weather and majestic landscapes of California.
Mike Kennan heard about the Rally for Rangers from riders that did it in previous years and he’s extremely excited to be a part of the ride in 2018. In addition to the excitement of having the opportunity to ride a motorcycle across some of the most amazing terrain in the world, it’s a unique opportunity to help protect this same area before it gets developed or otherwise spoiled. As someone from the West, he thinks they have a limited appreciation for how things work in developing nations. While it’s good that a government can make laws, it doesn’t matter if no one is able enforce those laws. This is a chance to give the rangers the tools they need to help protect this ancient landscape.

Hamilton Muirhead

Hamilton grew up on the beautiful West Coast of Canada where he first rode a dirt bike and has since ridden in various countries including India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines. At an early age he developed a love of the outdoors and remote environments while skiing, sailing and hiking whenever possible.
For the past few years he has been involved in the development of renewable energy projects in Asia and is currently based in Hong Kong and Bali.
He is thrilled to have been chosen for the 2018 Rally for Rangers along with his little brother Robert and can’t wait to explore this incredibly beautiful country on two wheels. He is honored to have this opportunity to be able to help the dedicated Rangers in Patagonia to conserve and protect these important natural resources and raise awareness for this amazing cause!

Robert Cameron

Robert (Hamilton’s brother) is an artist who lives in Toronto, Canada. He has been involved with many charities over the years including volunteering in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with an organization called Artists for Peace and Justice, as part of an initiative building free public secondary schools for youth in the poorest neighborhood in North America. He has also raised extensive funds for stem cell research and local hospitals.
Growing up in British Columbia, Canada, Robert has always had a love for riding and anything involving the great outdoors. Robert now rides a Yamaha R3 on the road in Toronto and plays on a KTM 250 up in the country in a place called Caledon. He has travelled to over 25 countries and his riding experiences range from the sand dunes of Namibia overlooking the border of Angola to the outback of Australia.
As a sculptor, Robert often finds inspiration for his work through developing diverse relationships and cultural experiences while traveling the world. He is very much looking forward to the journey, building new friendships, and equipping his Ranger with the means to protect the truly majestic environments of Patagonia.

Chuck Flinton

Charles “Chuck” Flinton is a forensic psychologist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Patagonia is his second “Rally for Rangers” outing. Raised in Saratoga Springs, New York, he became an early fan of state parks. Having ridden a motorcycle in every state except Louisiana and Alaska, he became enamored with gifts of nature. Over the years, he became aware of the threats to our environment, and the importance of protecting it. This starts with preserving national parks both locally and around the world.
When the opportunity arose to assist in providing motorcycles to the park rangers in Mongolia in 2015, he signed up immediately. The motorcycles empowered park rangers to access areas of the park more quickly and safely.
Protecting our environment against corporate forces and un-informed individuals is a mountainous obstacle. We can climb it together with education and providing resources to those at the forefront of protecting nature. Specifically, our PARK RANGERS!
On a more personal note, many years ago, Chuck was immobilized with pain due to ankylosing spondylitis (a spine and joint disease) forcing him to give up riding motorcycles. With the help of friends and science, the ride continues. So, in addition to promoting national parks, Chuck promotes the awareness that anyone (or any community) can overcome challenges on any level (personal, local, or global). Let’s save ourselves while we protect our parks.

Steven Zwaan

Steven is a Dutch entrepreneur who lived in Asia for 14 years before moving back to Amsterdam with his family in 2017. He is passionate about creating commercially attractive business strategies to solve economic issues and improve living conditions in emerging markets and founded companies in the affordable housing and renewable energy sectors.
At an early age he developed a love of sports, the outdoors and adventure travel. Steven rode dirt bikes through remote areas in Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia and Kazakhstan and can’t wait to explore the Torres del Paine, Los Glaciares, Tierra del Fuego and Karukinka parks in Patagonia.
He is a big fan of the Rally for Rangers cause and excited to have the opportunity to help the rangers in Patagonia preserve and protect this critically important wilderness and raise awareness for the importance of their long term preservation.

David Gast

David’s interest in participating in the Patagonia trip is fueled by his passion for preserving special places in the world and his love of off road riding.
He grew up tinkering with all things mechanical and has a passion for two wheeled travel adventure. David enjoys exploring the Northwestern US on his Ducati touring motorcycle. Cyclocross bicycle racing is a hobby that combines bicycle handling skills, fitness and reading the traction in varying surface conditions.
David retired recently from his career as a design engineer and engineering manager. He lived in Barcelona Spain for two years and thrived while learning the culture and work life of the Catalan people. He enjoys volunteering as a climbing steward at Mt St Helens and as Nordic ski patroller at Mt Ranier.
He is looking forward to experiencing some of the culture of the people in Patagonia and understanding the challenges faced by the local Park Rangers.