The Riders:
David Mackovjak, 46
Ever
since David was in high school, he dreamed of biking across the United States.
It started when
his good friend and then Scoutmaster; Tom Seifert of Troop 151 in Harbor Creek,
PA planned a week long bike trip in the Pennsylvania
Allegheny National Forest. David had never done anything like this before
and he had a blast! It was during that trip that he decided to someday bike
across America. It has taking him 30 years to finally make it a reality. David
retired from the US Navy as a Naval Submarine Officer after serving for nearly
22 years. He works for Sandia National Labs.
“As
with most things in life we put them off until we can find the time. Now is the
time!’ says David.
John Mackovjak, 16
John
road his first century (100 mile ride) as part of the Seattle to Portland bike
ride when he was 12 yrs old on a mountain
bike. Currently he is a Junior at Central Kitsap High School in Silverdale, WA
and is very active in high sports including cross country, swimming, and track.
John is out going and is an excellent student involved in numerous school
activities. John is an Eagle
Scout and has been very active in scouting for over 10 years.
James Mackojvak, 16
James
has participated several Seattle to Portland bike rides as well. In the summer
of 2007, James and his identical twin brother John completed
a five day bike trip in the San Juan Islands, WA with Boy Scout Troop 1506. It
was then that James expressed an interest in cycling across the USA. Currently, James
is a Junior at Central Kitsap High School and is very active in high sports. He
is an excellent student involved in a number of school activities such as Honor
Society, Key Club and student government. James is also an Eagle Scout and has
been very active in scouting.
Skip
is the Mackovjak’s neighbor who will be driving their support vehicle during
their trip across the US. He was an Advertising Executive who's had the good
fortune to retire early and pursue personal interests such as art and golf. He
has been married to his lovely wife Doris for almost 40 years. Together they
have traveled the world, but have never had the opportunity to cross this great
country by car. Riding4Hope
is a great opportunity to accomplish several personal goals for Skip. First, it
will allow him to document the trip through photography capturing the American
spirit in these challenging times, and secondly it will allow him to raise
awareness the Wounded
Warriors Project and Boys and Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound.
