By Stormy
Another Sturgis is in the books for Colorado riders. Riders started their journey home sunburned, with great stories to tell and time to get back to reality. For other Colorado riders it brings back memories that will forever be in their memory bank.
I would like to introduce you to Kerri Shimko. In August 2018, she and her husband Steve were on their way home from a great week in Sturgis. In Lusk, they were involved in a catastrophic accident in their Dodge truck, with a toy hauler and their precious cargo … their bikes inside. They rolled 5 times right and while alive, everything was demolished and damaged. Kerri had her brand new beautiful 2017 Road Glide, with a custom gecko painted on the rear fender.
Steve was airlifted by Flight-For-Life to Denver, with blood on the brain and a horrific eye injury. Kerri sustained a broken sternum and was told there was nothing they could do for her injury. Kerri says, “Only time, and a positive attitude is going to heal the broken bones.” Steve on the other hand endured several surgeries to his eye, to save his vision, but sadly has completely lost the ability to see out of his left eye.
Despite the long recovery, Kerri and Steve had the love of each other and a commitment to ride again and get their lives back. A life that started in 1991 and then married a year later. She exclaimed, “He was a biker before I met him and for many years, I rode bitch, until one day, I put my foot down and said, ‘no more’.”
When I interviewed Kerri, all I could think was how amazing she is because not only is she riding again after that horrific accident last year, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and she still rides. MS is a demyelinating disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. One day while riding, she noticed she couldn’t see out of her right eye. She ignored it for a few days, but when it didn’t go away, she decided to go see her doctor, and that is when she learned she has it, but it doesn’t stop her from doing what she loves, riding. There were times she thought she would have to give up riding for good. Her vision and balance are both affected if she gets overheated, and it can absolutely wipe her out.
Despite the challenges that both have faced, Kerri and Steve just returned from a trip to Key West this past May. Hitting many of the states I’ve never really seen. Back roads sure do show you a lot of our beautiful America. I was most impressed with Alabama, which was surprisingly gorgeous in my opinion. We finally made it to our destination, Key West. We had an incredible time there, then headed up the east coast to North Carolina and rode the infamous Tail of the Dragon. We returned home after 3 weeks on the road, a little over 6.000 miles. Life truly is an amazing RIDE!!!”
