Throttle Through the Storm: Riding When Life Feels Too Much
- Michelle Hatcher
- May 8
- 3 min read
When the world felt too heavy, I found peace in the saddle. This is the story of how two wheels, a strong community, and small acts of kindness saved my life — and how they can save others too.
There was a time not so long ago when the world felt truly heavy to me, when the white noise in my head drowned out everything else in my life, including my work. I felt as if I couldn’t function and as a result, I let everything slide — my family, my friends — everything.
Anxiety; grief of a life that wasn’t serving me at all, and its relentless curveballs had me cornered for the first time in my long years. Up until then I had taken every challenge head on. I had know resilience. I had dealt with the dark that life can thrown at you when you least expect it. I needed to find an escape that didn’t involve self destruction through liquids you an buy in the supermarket. I needed a lifeline I could hang on to, that could take me back to shore.
The last place I thought I would find that tow rope was in a motorcycle. Not therapy, no GP appointment, not even through a fairly useless app telling me how to breathe in and out. Crumbs, I have been doing that for years, I think I know how to by now.
Each ride in the last year of my life, taking me up to the present day has become a counselling session, the hum of my little, but fierce 125cc engine, has become a soothing mantra (when I am not playing kid with my exhaust at a set of traffic lights.) The road now offers me clarity, the wind, when trying to drag me off the saddle, offers me solace. Riding doesn’t just get me from point A to B; it brings me back to myself time and time again.
But healing doesn’t have to be a solitary journey. In fact, even solo, I can be lifted higher than the sky if you pass me and give the nod as bikers do. It says ‘I see you.’
It is good to be seen.
Founded by Paul Sims, Make Your MARK is more than a charity; it’s a movement. At its heart are Motorbiker Acts of Random Kindness (MARK) — simple gestures that remind us we’re not alone. Whether it’s a nod to a fellow rider or stopping to help someone in need, these acts create ripples of positivity in our community.
One of the most impactful initiatives is the Bike n Brew event.
Running from May 1st to October 31st, 2025, this and future events encourage riders to visit participating biker-friendly cafés across Wales, the Midlands, and the Cotswolds.
For just £10, you get a passport to collect stamps from each café you visit. Every 15 stamps earn you an entry into a prize draw, with a brand-new Kawasaki Z900 up for grabs.
But it’s not just about winning prizes. Bike n Brew supports local businesses, fosters community, and raises funds for vital causes like hospices, care homes, and mental health initiatives, like this page on JustGiving.
Through Make Your MARK, I’ve seen first-hand the power of community. From mental health first aid training to the installation of defibrillators in remote cafés, their work is saving lives.
In my book, Full Throttle Full Heart, I delve deeper into my journey and the transformative power of motorcycling. In support of Paul, his volunteers and what they are achieving, I am donating £1 of each sale to Make Your MARK, to help them continue their incredible work.
As a part of bringing this to the forefront of conversation, I was tickled pink to see my letter to RiDE Magazine get the Star treatment in their June edition for 2025.
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, know this: you’re not alone. Ever. There’s a community ready to support you, one ride at a time.
Here’s what you need to do next:
Learn more about Make Your MARK: makeyourmark.charity
Purchase your Bike n Brew passport.
Ride safe. Ride with purpose.
Release The Clutch, Quiet The Noise.
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