A summit for women riders & the controversy surrounding its founder

Over the last several months there has been a lot of controversy brewing on social media, surrounding Joan Krenning; founder of the Steel Horse Sisterhood Charities and the Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit.

I decided to look into the situation to see if I could find out the facts, the truth.

Now getting at the truth in this kind of story is not always easy. Life is not always black and white and there can be a lot of grey area between facts and truth. I call that grey area the soft facts, the emotions that drive a person to the decisions they make, after all we are human beings who deal from emotion most times.

Several people who have done business with Joan in the past have come to a place where they are angry and becoming vocal about how she has treated them, how she has conducted herself. Because of their previous dealings with her, many have come to a place where they question her motives on many levels. They have seen a pattern and they are not liking it.

There are those who are staunch defenders of Joan, who see her as a devout Christian woman with pure intent, someone who has turned their life around and there are others who see her as a snake oil salesman who could charm you out of your bank account.

The defenders say the detractors are just jealous and the detractors say the defenders are naive and looking to be hurt and disillusioned.

They either love her or hate her.

Who is Joan Krenning, really, and why should we women riders here in Canada care?

Joan is the founder of the Steel Horse Sisterhood Charities and the Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit an event in Loveland Colorado that is meant to bring women riders together. A small number of Canadian women attended the first event.

After having done countless hours of research, and interviewing many people, I am still not sure I understand who Joan Krenning really is. 

Initially when I asked her for an interview regarding the rather ugly situation that is brewing on social media, she had agreed to it but insisted she wanted it conducted by email and included two other people in the emailed response to the interview request.

I said that I wanted the interview on video, that it was to be just her and I, and I presented her with a list of questions that I intended to ask so that she could prepare. I assured her the video would not be aired. I also explained to her that the interview and her answers to my questions might bring up other questions for which there would be no way to prepare. (The list of questions I wanted to cover is in the two photos to the left)

Why did I want the interview on video? Simply put, body language. It is one of the biggest ways we communicate and often tells us more about the direction we need to ask questions in order to get at the truth, better than reading words ever could.

Sadly, after initially agreeing to the interview, Joan has now declined the interview pleading that she is too busy preparing for the Summit to take time out of her day to have her side of the story heard.

Joan has, from what I can see, been getting very bad advice on how to handle the questions and concerns that people have.

So be it.

This article only deals with the paper trail of facts and the experiences that others have had with her.
There will be no soft facts presented, and by soft facts I mean the governing emotions that result in the decisions people make. (IE: a battered woman refusing to testify against her abuser because of fear of reprisal etc...)

I write this piece so that those who are considering doing business with this woman, or attending/speaking at her event can ask themselves the right questions to determine if doing business with her, if aligning their brands with hers and being seen as supporters of her are right for their businesses and themselves.

Only they can make those decisions.

The story of the Joan Krenning/Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit controversy begins with her trip across the USA.

Publicly this ride was supposed to be a 36 month long mission to promote American Made goods and the US Constitution.
At the time of her departure, she was founder and part owner in DesignWraps Brands LLC out of Arizona and had three other partners.

There are those who are very disturbed about many things that transpired during what turned out to be her 20 month long sales trip.

From people who supplied her with products for her motorcycle, to some who promoted her and her trip, to those who housed her at various periods, not to mention some of the people who ultimately ended up funding that trip, the stories have been rather disconcerting.

The image on the left is a message from Joan to her former partners claiming she needs $3,000 a month of financial support while she is on the road if she stays with friends for 15 days of the month.  It also clearly identifies that Joan's goal for her ride was to promote her company, it was not about any patriotic or spiritual mission.

Joan calls herself a patriot, someone who strongly supports her country.

She says she is a woman who has created American jobs since she was in her early 20's and started her first business Rags to Riches. She calls herself a Christian and is very vocal about her religious beliefs.

The only glimpses into Joan, in her own words, that we have, are her various blogs and Facebook postings.

(This blog posting on the left has been deleted in the last few days)

Her Lady Road Dog Blog has some interesting insights to who she is: http://ladyroaddog.com/blog/

Is Joan any of the things she says she is?

Without benefit of her telling her side of the story, the facts appear to contradict much of what she claims.

As far back as I have been able to search on her, Joan Krenning has a history of not paying her Department of Work Force Development bills with the state of Wisconsin. She also has a history of not paying her Department of Revenue bills with the Government of Wisconsin.

To see her history visit: http://wcca.wicourts.gov

Search: Joan Schulenberg, Clear Simplicity, Madison Creek Designs, Design Wraps, Joan Krenning

American Taxes are handled far differently from Canadian taxes.

In the US, when an individual files their taxes and it is discovered that the employer has not remitted their employees state withholding taxes, both the state and the individual sue the company and it's directors/owners to recover the funds owed.

In the state of Wisconsin, individual civil cases fall off the record if not renewed every 5 years but government warrants never expire unless they are paid in full.  If payments are being made to the state for those taxes it is noted in the documentation either as a garnishee or as a payment program or so I am led to understand.

As you look at the documents on the Wisconsin Circuit Court access site, Closed does not necessarily mean that the plaintiff recovered their money, that may also mean that the person never renewed their case. Filed only means they have not been able to serve her papers or in the case of a bench warrant, apprehend her.

Bench Warrant 

I mention this, as there is an open bench warrant, issued in Dane Country Wisconsin on August 20th, 2004 for Joan Schulenberg of Madison Creek Designs, for failing to appear.

So why would the Government of Wisconsin not be able to serve her? Why were they not able to arrest her?

Well, from what I can gather by talking to officials in each government department, they tried serving her on several occasions, as well they attempted to execute the arrest warrant on her before she moved from Wisconsin, but were unsuccessful in doing so and consequently, the tax warrants and bench warrant still exist.


During this time Joan was married to a man that she was also in business with, Bruce A Schulenberg, their divorce became final on September 15, 2005.

The paper trail suggests that Joan moved to Canada sometime in 2006 and that she began living with a Canadian at that time. They married in March of 2007.

What is most interesting about her moving to Canada is the fact that Joan is a felon with a criminal charge for pot possession back in 1989, (see document on left below).

She did 90 days in county for that charge and it should have made her ineligible for entry to Canada.

She does not deny this, in fact she has her dates wrong and she embellishes the story declaring she turned 35 in prison, (see picture on right).

County jail and prison are two very different things!




One is left to wonder how she managed to get across the border and the only theories that I have been able to unearth is that she used one of her 25 or so aliases or she has obtained a pardon that I cannot find anywhere.

On July 27th, 2012 Joan filed for divorce from her Canadian husband claiming they had lived separately since March 15th, 2012.  During that time, she stayed with some ladies who befriended her as she was virtually homeless.

It was during this time in her life that she decided to start her "GLORY US-A FREEDOM RIDE" tour to promote patriotic spending and proclaimed herself publicly as "The Lady Road Dog". She claims she was dubbed that by some guy after she told him about a long road trip she had undertaken, however, none of her former business colleagues or former associates recall her ever being known by that handle before early 2013. Myself included. I have known Joan since the Vancouver bike show in 2011 and Lady Road Dog was not what she was known by at that time.

As of right now, she stays with her mother some times, with friends in Loveland Colorado and various places along the road but she does not have what you would call a fixed address.

I "spoke" with her former Canadian husband briefly by private message. He expressed that he was raised that if you have nothing nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all and since he had nothing nice to say on the topic of Joan, he'd reserve comment.  Fair enough, divorces are painful and personal. He wanted nothing to do with talking about her, and asked me to protect his privacy.

What I do know from speaking with those who knew Joan during her marriage to the Canadian is that Joan had worked as a sales rep for his apparel business. After having read their divorce papers, I truly understand why the man has nothing good to say.

In the divorce papers she was seeking interest in the business, the house she had shared with him, his RRSP's and his pension.  I do not as of yet have substantiation of what the final decree, if any, has allowed.

Because her first husband, Darvin Krenning and her second husband, Philip Chain have both passed, I was unable to determine what ended their marriages, death or divorce.

I have not been able to locate her third husband, Bruce A Schulenberg who was also in business with Joan, but it was their company Madison Creek Designs that has wracked up a lot of the DWD and Department of Revenue warrants.

It appears from the paper trail that Joan and her then husband each have tax warrants, however many that are in her former husband's name have been withdrawn. In Joan's case however, the most recent warrants that are in her name personally are for $25,815.15 with DWD in 2010 and the 2010 Department of Revenue warrant is for $29,590.99.

In fact I have located information on civil judgements against her as Joan Krenning from 1992 to 1998 and as Joanie Chain in 1994-1996. I also found judgements in 2000, under the name Joanie Krenning.

Beginning in 2001 there are also civil claims against her under the names of Joanie/Jonnie/and Joan E. Schulenberg and going on under the variations of her Schulenberg name until 2010, with one under the name of Joan Krenning thrown into the mix, in 2006.

The other companies that have debts with both the DWD and Dept. of Revenue in Wisconsin are Clear Simplicity Inc and Design Wraps.  There is a direct tie to Clear Simplicity Inc and that I found from a 2005 case that remains with an open warrant for over $5,000 with the DWD. (Department of Workforce Development) that ties it Design Wraps.

Clear Simplicity - Design Wraps tie in

Now with Clear Simplicity Inc, somehow her son, Matthew Krenning, ends up involved around 2005.

On top of all of the DWD and Revenue Wisconsin warrants from 2010 and back, there are tax warrants from 2012 and 2013 for Clear Simplicity Inc, the company that Joan and her son Matthew are involved in.

There are a number of DWD and Department of Revenue warrants in his name, one is for $48K + dollars and in some of the documents, the address is the same as on some of Joan's warrants, 921 Walsh Rd. in Madison WI which again shows the two companies as tied together.

Without the soft facts, the hard paper trail suggests that Joan is a woman who has gone from marriage to marriage, left the country to either avoid jail time or get married or both and has left much debt behind. Debt predominantly surrounding the non payment of employees commissions and their withholding taxes.

So far, I am not seeing where the jobs this patriotic American created over the history of her various businesses has actually created any meaningful American jobs or benefited the American economy in any way.

In June of 2013 Joan applied for a trademark for the Steel Horse Sisterhood but that applications has since been abandoned. See right.

The links I originally posted timed out apparently so the screenshot to the right replaces the first link - the link below takes you to the trademark search page.

She also applied for the trade mark Lady Road Dog at the same time, on the same date which has also been abandoned: http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4804:hhv63e.1.1
Search Lady Road Dog

She has applied for charitable status for her newly registered Steel Horse Sisterhood Charities.

BUT according to IRS rules, if I am reading them right, the fact that she has state tax warrants out on her will prevent her from getting that status, in the mean time the IRS is 3 years behind in approving or disallowing charitable status.

In the state of Colorado where she has applied for non profit status and filed her federal forms to become a 501 (c)(3), it does not matter that she has a criminal record. She can still have a non profit.

The way Joan has set up this non profit, she is to benefit from the monies left over after dissolution as CEO, the other members of her board that are registered in Colorado get paid behind her. Then the creditors then any charities she has promised funds to.

She recently announced on Facebook who her new board was, but those names have not yet been reflected in her filings on line. One of those people, the treasurer appears to be her sister who lives in Kansas, and another, LeAnn Illingworth is the person whom Joan stays with and lives at the address filed for the non profit. I have not as of yet found information on the others involved.

TC Conrad - Executive Director
Dawn Lee - Vice President
Jan Peterson - Treasurer
Debra Teplitz - Secretary
LeAnn Illingworth - Board Member

Her new boyfriend, Charles Guthrie is a veteran who reportedly has cancer. He is listed on the new Steel Horse Sisterhood Charities paperwork with the Government of Colorado.  He lives in Virginia.
He is not listed as part of the BOD as you can see.

This screen shot comes from her first application that included the articles of incorporation.
The articles of incorporation have not been amended even though the non profit business has seen two revisions. (Both on the 6th of January of 2015)

You can search the records yourself at: http://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/BusinessEntityResults.do

One of the latest and biggest bones of contention that some of Joan's detractors have involves her first summit in 2014.

Donations to her charities were first announced as $8,000, then as $5,000 and then as $4,500.

People are asking which amount is the real amount and why such a discrepancy but no answers have been forthcoming.

There are rumours and innuendo, but no actual facts as to why there is such a great disparity in amounts. I am pursuing those, but that will take time.

I spoke with Craig from Realities for Children and the Ride for Kids, and he expressed, after having looked into the donations, that they never received any donation not for $500 or for $135, at least not one that he was able to find - not in the name of Joan Krenning or in the name of the Steel Horse Sisterhood Charities or the Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit.

I did speak with a representative of Grace After Fire and was told that they received a donation, but the amount wasn't disclosed as the lady I spoke with, Lisa Skier, was in her car on the way to the airport and her vacation.  I have not contacted Helping with Horsepower as I figure if Laura Klock is going to continue on at the Summit as a guest speaker and a vendor, then she must have gotten the said donation. I have not, as of the time of writing, gotten a call back from the Road Guardians and so I have no idea if they have gotten a donation.
I have been unable to find which Optimist Club she donated to.

The latest thing to have transpired that has also raised the eyebrows of many people in the motorcycle industry was the closing down of her partnership in DesignWraps Brands LLC out of Arizona and DesignWraps Brands Inc.

There was a company letter sent out informing their customers, mostly Harley-Davidson dealerships, that DesignWraps Brands LLC & Inc were no longer in business.

Then there was another letter sent out later from Joan under a new company name, Design Wrap Brands Inc. stating that she is still in business.

No one from the original DesignWraps Brands co's would talk to me very much about the situation because of pending litigation but I did learn this much:
That Design Wraps Brands LLC & Inc haven't even been officially closed as of yet, although the paperwork is pending. (I have already found information on a new company called Design Wrap Brands Inc out of Oklahoma.)

It was confirmed for me by her former partners in Design Wraps Brands LLC & Inc that they did not sell their company, its proprietary marketing or intellectual materials or any other information and that no material possessions of the company were sold to this new Design Wrap Brands Inc in Oklahoma.

None of the former partners are involved in the newly formed company except Joan and she apparently has a new partner, a gal named Sara Boyer Little.

Artwork from the New Design Wrap Co.
Catalogue 2014

Maybe it's just my tired old eyes that aren't working quite right, but it appears that the marketing materials from Design Wrap Brands Inc are using the exact same images as the marketing materials created for/by DesignWraps Brand LLC in Arizona.

The name is almost identical except that the S in Wraps has been dropped and there is a separation in the words Design and Wrap!

Here is the link to the new company, Design Wrap Brands online catalogue:

http://www.designwraps.com/catalog/

Note the web site address as well: http://www.designwraps.com

The web site address is the same now as it was when the company was DesignWraps Brands LLC/Inc.

She appears to using the Riders Wraps term which came from DesignWraps Brands LLC/Inc marketing and the phone number being used for the new company is the same as for the old company. The use of these intellectual and proprietary marketing materials, including the web site domain, without benefit of payment to her former partners would, I assume, be part of the pending litigation that her former partners say is coming.

Artwork from the Old Design Wraps Co. in 2013

When those documents go public, I will be looking hard to see if that is in fact the case.

There is so much more that I could write about, little details that I have learned about people taking second mortgages on their houses, investing money in her businesses only to loose everything they invested.  Stories from sales people who never got their commissions.

There is documented evidence to back up their claims but again, there are no soft facts beyond those of the alleged victims to go by.

There will most likely be a follow-up to this article as I continue attempting to get that the truth of who the founder of the Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit really is.

You see I am awaiting the findings from a private investigator that another writer has hired, and for the research department in Loveland Colorado's library to get some information to me that I am seeking.

I am also waiting for the story from yet another investor done wrong that surfaced yesterday.

And lastly I am waiting to hear about the newest law suits that are said to be forthcoming.

So - Who is Joan Krenning? 

Is she truly a woman who is learning and growing from her mistakes?
The paper trail would suggest not.

Is she truly a spiritual and god loving American Patriot who creates meaningful American jobs?
The paper trail would suggest not.

From everything I have learned by reading documentation, emails, speaking with former employees, former partners, investors, and the government officials in Wisconsin, it appears that the talk and the walk of Joan Krenning are different from each other.

Perhaps she'll choose to have her side of the story told now.
I am sure that many others would like to know her side of things so that they have a complete "story" from which to base their decisions.

Have a great day and if you are blessed enough to live where you can be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider


Aliases for Joan Krenning:

This list does not include her maiden name or her Canadian married name

An Update:

The cheque for the Ride for Kids was unearthed and sent to us by one of Joan's people.
I am not sure why the executive director could not find the donation but perhaps he was searching for the wrong date range. The Summit happened in May and the cheque was dated for August but not cashed until October.  One mystery solved? Well know when I send the copy of the cheque to the charity for confirmation.

I sent the cheque for the charity to confirm and they have confirmed, that they did cash the cheque copy I was given.

Here is the Update I wrote on this controversy:
http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2015/03/the-controversy-update.html

Another UPDATE:
Apparently we have one of those wild Canadian way VS American way things are done, going on and perhaps it is why I have faced a few challenges getting information!

You see the cheque that was sent to me was dated 06/08/14 and cashed 06/10 14
In the US that means June 6th and June 8th, in Canada that would read August 6th and October 6th!

UPDATE:

OK now I m really confused.  I got a copy of a cheque made out to the Road Guardians.

The date 11/03/14  according to the person who sent it to me, they did intact get the cheque in November.  The cheque was not from the Steel Horse Sisterhood, but in the Memo area says RE: Steel Horse Sisterhood - the cheque is from Oklahoma! So I am confused, very confused...
So yes they got a donation, but how that donation came to be is what is of concern; coming from Oklahoma, signed by a guy named Phil, on behalf of the Steel Horse Sisterhood, 6 months after the event and 3 months after the donations issues arose.

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Lisa Brouwer

Lisa Brouwer of Sioux Falls South Dakota shared with me her story recently.

It is another story of a career banker who gave up corporate America and the illusion of security to do something that filled her soul while making a living. She wanted to truly enjoy her job and feel that she was giving back, contributing something worth while in the world.

Lisa was what she called a "Guilty Mom".  Having her first child at 30, she was in the pinnacle of her career with awards and rewards. BUT - She felt guilty about the time she was away from her kids, working, always working.

She realized that she was chasing the wrong success and she recognized how her life had shifted after she had kids. But she had missed the shift and that caused the guilty feelings.

Lisa told me the story of her college professor who had inspired her to be a public speaker.

She had stuffed that inspiration to the back of her mind, and many years later, she had a dream about that conversation and it reawaken in her, the dream of being a public speaker.

Lisa is a gal who, to use her own words, does not want to live a life of regret and so, she ditched a 21 year career and took courses and became a John Maxwell coach, a writer and a motorcycle safety trainer.

She spoke of the fear and the courage it took to leave the security of a career where she had attained a certain level of success, where people knew and respected her.

But, she is so happy that she did and she has NO REGRETS.

She knew she had to shift her ideas about what success was and attributes some of the mental strength and courage that it took to step out of her comfort zone to being a rider!

She expressed that getting on a motorcycle is one way that you can prove to yourself that, "Yes I can do this".

Among the many courses and coaching sessions she offers, the motivational speaking and coaching seminars she runs for women who ride, offer women an insight on how to take the lessons of inner courage and strength that riding offers and use it in their lives as mothers, care givers, wives, friends, employees and bosses.


"That courage, that strength translates into every aspect of your lives if you allow it to," says Lisa.
"Sharpening our skills, growing, learning, these are things that are critical to all of our lives, and motorcycling is no different from being a mom or a business owner in that regard!"

Lisa wants to encourage other women to embrace their dreams, fill their souls, fuel their lives.

She also talks about learning how to take stock, taking a pause and learning how to really listen to what your soul is trying to tell you.

"Don't stuff them, (your dreams) away in some dark recess of your mind.

Bring them out into the daylight, examine them and if the pull is still there, do something about it. Growth; the attainment of knowledge, skill, is a life long journey," says Lisa, "your either busy living or your busy dying."

Lisa Brouwer is a woman with a message!

Through her training as a John Maxwell coach, Lisa is sharing the message of empowerment and Full Throttle Living.


I deeply enjoyed getting to know Lisa on a more personal level.
She is; dynamic, open, approachable and genuine!

My interview with Liz Jansen of Ontario Canada is next, and I look forward to sharing her story with you!

Have a great day and please, if you are blessed to live where you can be riding today, remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider




Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Laurie Latham

Laurie Latham is a former motor cop and police detective who is now the chief instructor and owner of Arizona's Play It Safe Defence company.

Before she founded her company, one that teaches women and children the art of self defence, Laurie spent 5 years as a motor cop until she suffered a bad work related crash.

She didn't want to get back on a bike, it held no appeal to her, the bike was nothing more than a tool of the trade of being a police officer.

But things changed and today Laurie is back riding and enjoying it immensely. She attributes the change in her thinking to being around other women who ride. Listening to their stories of the places they visit, the way the wind and their motorcycle soothes their soul and makes them feel, created a desire to ride again, this time for pleasure.



During her time as a police officer and later as a detective, Laurie trained a lot of officers in self defence and when she retired from the force, she decided to start instructing women and children on the art of self defence.

Her motivations? The statistics she lists on her web site:

According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice one out of every four women will be attacked or raped in her lifetime. Look at these alarming statistics:

• 83% of rape victims are between the ages of 12 years and 25 years of age.
• 90% of women assaulted knew their assailant.
• 25% of college women surveyed are victims of rape or attempted rape.
• 85% of rapes on campuses are acquaintance/date rapes and most happen in the first three months of college.
• 90% of all campus rapes involve alcohol.
• Women who resist are twice as likely to escape injury as others. According to the Women’s Self Defense Institute, an analysis of 3,000 actual assaults showed that half of the attackers fled from a woman who was willing to resist! The key, however, is to learn how to effectively resist.

Her training techniques are far from conventional.

In her courses for women, she teaches them how to use weapons, in her mind every woman should know how to handle a weapon. She told me a number of stories of women; some who died because they were too afraid to use a weapon that their assailant had dropped or that was within arms reach, and of others who, although they did not shoot on a regular basis, defended themselves successfully because they were not afraid to pick up a weapon.  She says that learning to use a weapon, to know what it feels like helps to remove a psychological barrier.

"Women who know how to use a weapon are less likely to freeze up during a confrontation and that helps many of them to extricate themselves from a potentially deadly situation." said Laurie.

Laurie also teaches situational awareness and a host of other self defence strategies and techniques.

Her courses for children include role playing where children are taught about bullies, who they are and what they look for in a potential victim and how to talk to them and react to them. All  courses are taught at age appropriate levels.

As a police officer Laurie saw the best and the worst in people.
She is a champion for the underdog. She wants to share her knowledge to ensure that as many people as she can touch are given the tools they need to stay safe.

Laurie is a level headed, big hearted woman who is living out the best times of her life and helping others to do the same.

You can find out more about Laurie Latham and her company Arizona Play it Safe Defence by visiting: azplayitsafedefense.com

I hope you are enjoying this series on BIG LIVES and the women who live them.

I know how much I am enjoying writing them.

Have a fabulous day and if you are blessed enough to live where you can be riding your motorcycle, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider








Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

American Sniper - the movie

Last night my husband and I went to see American Sniper and while I am glad I went, I have to tell you, I didn't sleep well last night.

The image of a woman handing a grenade to a young child and pushing him to go towards the US soldiers is one that will forever haunt me.

Life means nothing to the people our soldiers of the Allied forces are sent to fight.

In countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, mothers use their children as suicide bombers, children are tortured, and taught deep hatred and anger from the time they are born. Despair, fear, anger and hatred are all they know and it's been that way for generation after generation.
A human life means nothing to them.

War is hell.

The ability to move people emotionally is one that every director, writer and every actor aspires to.

This movie moved me. It disturbed me, it broke my heart and at the end of it, I ran out of the theatre crying.  I thought of my friends Corporal Michael Starker, Vic Remillard and their families.

I thought of Dave Sopha's renderings of our soldiers lost in combat in Afghanistan and every memorial ever built to honour our dead.

I thought of every soldier's family and the hell they must endure, a hell that JP Cormier summed up succinctly in his song Hometown Battlefield.

It is such a powerful movie, and for once Hollywood did not go over the top with the special effects.  This time the story did not need to be embellished.

The story of Navy Seal, Chris Kyle, is about so much more than a deadly sniper with over 160 kills to his credit. It is about so much more than the horrors of war.

It is about PTSD and the way war ravages the mind.
It is about the strength and courage it takes to be the wife/husband of a soldier.
It is about the devastation of war, where the war takes place, but it is also about the destruction and havoc it wages on the children and the families of our soldiers.

It is one of the greatest ironies of life that Chris Kyle, Navy Seal sniper was killed by a soldier he sought to help, on American soil.  It shows you that although they physically leave war, the war never leaves them.

Clint Eastwood got it right and so did Bradley Cooper who portrayed Chris Kyle.

The glimpse into what PTSD does to a family is powerful. It helps people, if only for a moment, to feel the pain, the separation, the disassociation that accompanies the horrors of the mind that keep reliving themselves over and over.

For those who glorify war, for those who bash our soldiers for following orders and doing their jobs, this film is a MUST see, for it will truly give you an insight into what the taking of a human life does to good men and women. The torture, the guilt, the mental and physical pain in all of its rawness moves you.

If you can watch this film and not see the bigger picture of what war does, then you are emotionally dead and I pray for your soul.

Do I recommend this film for you to watch? YES, but with a caveat...our politicians should be watching this movie. They need to be looking after our men and women and their families far better than they do.

Perhaps our politicians should have to do like the Royal Family in Great Britain - serve with those they lead.  LEAD by example, walk the talk. Perhaps then our men and women would get the supports they need when they come home.

There was only one thing about this film that Clint Eastwood got wrong.
The portrayal of Mark Lee was very wrong, according to his wife, Mia, in an interview done with FOX News.  Mark was the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq and was a team mate of Chris Kyle's.

See the interview here: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/02/20/american-sniper-portrayal-hides-real-marc-lee/

She shared the last letter her husband wrote in an effort to have Mark's story told - here is the link to that letter: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/02/20/have-seen-amazing-things-marc-lees-last-letter/

I truly hope you read the letter, the sense of the conflict this man feels is something everyone needs to understand.

In closing I want to say that I feel we here in Canada along with the US are blessed to live in some great countries.

Sadly our politicians seem to have forgotten the men and women who protect our rights and freedoms.

Sadly we, as citizens of these 2 great countries, don't do as much as we could to make our countries better, we aren't as kind or generous as we could be. Too often we are complacent, unfeeling, self involved.

We are better off than most, but there is much more we could be doing right here at home.

Each and everyone of us could do more.

As my friend Medric Cousineau of Paws for Thought is fond of saying:
"IF WE SEND THEM WE MUST MEND THEM"

The movie American Sniper gets 5 out of 5 gas tanks from me.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie, the wars we find our countries fighting and how we here at home could better defend our rights and freedoms through being of service to our fellow man.

If you are blessed enough to be living where you can ride, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider










Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Kate MacEachern

In 2005 a single mom with a one year old little boy joined the military.

She successfully finished all training and was posted to CFB Edmonton.

In 2007 she experienced "traumatic injury" while in training on the base.  A closed head trauma & significant spinal cord damage that left her with seizures and a subsequent stroke 9 weeks later. She was told at the time, that due to the extent and nature of the damage to her brain and body that her career would be over. The chance of ever regaining mobility and full function was minimal at best.

She walked out of the hospital within weeks of the surgeon and doctors speaking those words. The day she tried to speak with an intubation tube down in her throat is the day she learned what FIGHT really meant.

At the time, she had to surrender her drivers license and her life. 

"With seizures I wasn't allowed to drive. So much of my life was now "my new normal" things got hard. With my recovery, I would get so close to the time period needed to be re licensed and relapse. So close but so far away. I wanted to quit. But I didn't. I am a Leopard tank driver by trade, if I couldn't drive, I was nothing.  My unit and my family never gave up on me. My Dad never gave up. " says Kate

In 2010 she was finally cleared medically on the physical injuries. She could finally return to a fighting Squadron, get her license back and carry on.

"After the accident I had saved a little money. I wasn't driving or paying for gas so, I could squirrel away a little. I had a very specific goal in mind. I never gave up.

Years ago, My Dad had given up his motorcycle due to the financial obligations of being a father. He always missed it. You could see it in his eyes when you would hear the vibration of a bike coming up the road. He's the type of man that just belongs on a bike. It just fits. Dad gave up so much for us but he would never ask nor attempt to get another. Something always got in the way.

So in December, I flew home from Alberta and I bought my Dad and I motorcycles.  He was in NS, I was in Alberta. We competed to the minute as to who was going to get their licence back first. Our course was running the same time and days but...due to the time change he technically got his first. He still hasn't let me live that one down!"

Although this was an amazing period in her life, later that year she was diagnosed with PTSD. 
She went into a denial period. A heavy period of denial.

"I wanted to put my head in the sand and just ignore the world. Fade into a dark wall and disappear. Between anxiety, depression, trigger episodes... I was not doing well at all. The bike though, it gave me freedom. Wind therapy. It hurt, and it was a horrible experience but I didn't give up. It's not in my blood. That being said though, I was tired of fighting. Tired of getting one step ahead and falling three behind. I recognized that I wasn't alone. Many others faced this demon. I needed to do something." said Kate

In 2012 that "something" was born. It is called "The long way home". A physical journey to show people what it looks like to come "home" after injury.

Her goal was to bring as many soldiers "home" as she could. Help them heal, to protect her brothers and sisters and show them...they are never alone.

In June of that year she walked from CFB Gagetown to her hometown of Antigonish NS, 576km. 
Hit with hail, bleeding feet, exposed bone, dehydration... She had no idea what she was doing...but she could sleep at night knowing she was at least trying.

She and her team raised 20 thousand dollars for their benefactor - Soldier On

Kate faced criticism and met it head on:

In 2013, Kate was forced to make a decision about her military career - either stay in uniform or give it up to continue with her personal mission to change the way people view PTSD.
She chose her personal mission - she was determined to make a difference even if it was only for one person.

In 2013 she decided to take the lessons she had learned and apply them to something bigger. 
She wanted to incorporate more people. 

"It's not just soldiers that survive PTSD. Nobody is exempt." said Kate

So, she put her boots and ruck on once again. This time she left from Cape Breton NS and walked 1876 kms to Ottawa Ontario in support of Military Minds.

"I'll be honest, I wanted to quit a few times, but I never gave up.

Three amazing things happened that year though. I was patched in with 2CAV Dunkirk, but I had to sell my bike. I wanted desperately to buy a house, a forever home for my son and I, so the "wants" had to go and the "needs" were the focus.

It killed me, but I finally understand why dad had that look in his eye around bikes.

It gets in your blood. 

Someday I'll have another. Might not be anytime soon but...
I won't give up. Bikers are my life and have always been a part of my life. They are my brothers and sisters."

Now I ride behind trusted friends and family - I miss the wind therapy that much. It's not the same as riding my own, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

In 2015, Kate will cross the entirety of western Canada. Over 3000 Kms in 85 days In support of all who have chosen to survive PTSD.   She leaves from Nipawin Saskatchewan the founding home of the Wounded Warriors Weekend and ends her journey in Chilliwack BC arriving in time for the Wounded Warriors Weekend events there.

JP Cormier, singer songwriter responsible for the hit song "Hometown Battlefield" has written a song called "The Long Way Home" in honour of Kate and Her Walk - the LONG WAY HOME.

Kate has set not one, but two World Records for the Heavy March.

Her walk this year will mean that she has traversed all of Canada with a 45 pound rucksack on her back. That's no small feat!

She has touched thousands of lives and has helped so many people.

 "I walk for all of us with PTSD. The 45 lb pack on my back, it's not just my burden, it's all of ours. I carry it to show people what that looks like. The journey home. The long way Home." says Kate.

An amazing woman of courage and strength, Kate Mac (as we who are blessed to call her friend, call her) is an inspiration, a breath of fresh air! A gorgeous woman inside and out, one built with a determination that few can equal.

She is a woman who lives a VERY BIG LIFE!

Join Kate's Facebook Page - The Long Way Home

Have a wonderful day, and if you are blessed to live where you can ride, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Terri Collier

In advance of International Female Ride Day in May, I thought I'd start doing a series of articles on some of the amazing women in the riding world that I have had the pleasure of meeting face to face or just interviewing over the phone.

I have dubbed this series of articles "BIG LIVES and the Women who live them!"

These are very talented and incredibly generous of spirit women who are doing some amazing things, over coming some herculean challenges and life situations and who are living life on their terms.

Over the next few days and weeks ahead, I am going to give you a glimpse into what it is that makes these women so special.

BIG LIVES and the women who live them! Meet Terri Collier

The first lady I want to introduce you to is Terri Collier of Thunder Roads Magazine of Oklahoma & Arkansas.

Terri is a hard core rider who quit a 25 year career in banking, even though she was a vice president!

She had had enough of the pressure, the hours and the rat race of the corporate world.

She went through a heart wrenching divorce, a horrific head on automobile crash and is also a recovering alcoholic.




In 2008 Terri bought Thunder Roads Magazine; Oklahoma & Arkansas and became the editor in chief.

Terri has loved riding all of her life.  Her story is typical of so many. She started out on dirt bikes as a kid. Her father was an oval track racer and her family owned a race track so sweat, grease and wrenching are something she's very comfortable with. And so becoming the editor of a motorcycling magazine was not as big of a leap as one might think.

She prefers her new office where she can get into the zen rhythm of the road, meet others of like mind and make an impact in her community in ways she could never do while tied to the corporate world.

Today she owns a pair of bikes - a 2007 Big Dog chopper named Lola and a 2014 Street Glide Special and she loves to ride hard.

Terri is active in her community and speaks at events like the Oklahoma State University's Design, Housing & Merchandising seminars and volunteering for Special Olympics.

Terri is constantly espousing the benefits of motorcycle tourism and how it can help to grow rural businesses at many Chamber of Commerce and other business gatherings. She also loves to empower other women to grab life by the bars and fulfill their dreams.

Through her magazine, Terri is able to give back to a community that she loves, the riding community. She gets out to as many events as she can, sponsoring a ton of them with free advertising and articles.
She attributes much of the success of her magazine to the terrific team that makes up Thunder Roads Oklahoma & Arkansas.  "You need a great team if you are going to do great things," says Terri.

As Terri also said to me; "Unless you are in service to others, your life never feels full, it feels empty and hollow. I love giving back, making a difference".

She is strong willed, determined, passionate and very generous of heart and spirit.

As a recovering alcoholic with 10.5 years of sobriety, Terri has come to understand that she can overcome pretty much anything, and has, with the help and love of God and she says that life is better than she had ever dreamed it could be!

You can learn more about Thunder Roads Oklahoma & Arkansas here:
www.thunderroadsoklahoma.com

Next up will be an amazing little gal from Antigonish, Nova Scotia who has overcome some huge challenges to live a life that is so big that...well....I won't give it away, you can read all about her tomorrow!

Have a great day and if you are fortunate enough to live where you can be riding, PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider





Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.