Retired NWO launches epic motorcycle adventure

Naval Warfare Officer Lieutenant-Commander (ret’d) Michael Greer and his wife Angela show off their riding equipment at their home near Brentwood Bay. The couple is preparing for a ten-year motorcycle trip around the world in a charitable initiative to raise money for orphanages in several countries. Credit: Peter Mallett/Lookout Newspaper.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer — A local retired Naval Warfare Officer and his wife sold their house, car, and 90 per cent of their worldly possessions to embark on the trip of a lifetime.

“As the departure date gets closer, it’s getting real, and we are both very excited as the countdown continues,” said Angela Greer.

Angela and her husband, Lieutenant-Commander (Ret’d) Michael Greer, plan to take their 2022 Honda CRF300L Rally motorcycles worldwide to support their newly-created Twonie Project, a charitable initiative to benefit disadvantaged children. The initiative will see the couple ride around the world while supporting organizations, including Child Impact International, a non-profit organization committed to making a difference in the lives of children and people in poverty. 

The pair has been avidly riding motorcyclists for decades.

“For the next ten years, we will be travelers,” Michael said. “That is much different than being a tourist because we will be interacting with people, experiencing their culture first-hand and having all sorts of adventures.”

The inspiration for the Twonie Project came when Michael visited a few orphanages in Mexico and Bolivia. The state of dis-repair in these orphanages prompted the couple to spend their retirement years helping. They will cover their costs through Michael’s pension and retirement savings so that all the money they raise goes toward the Project.

“We are well aware every moment isn’t going to be a smooth ride and there is some element of danger, but we will have a great adventure to look back on,” Michael said.

Michael joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1999 and retired this February as a Canadian Submarine Force HQ member in Esquimalt.

“I served around the world representing Canada working with partnered nations in conflict zones and helping other nations improve maritime security,” he said. “We both love to travel and work with kids, so helping orphaned children through the Twonie Project would add meaning to our travels.”

Angela enjoyed a 19-year residential and development real estate career before retiring in 2015 and says she is equally excited about their upcoming adventure. She quickly agreed with the plan after Michael pitched the idea a few years ago.

“So much of what we own is replaceable; if we don’t come back for ten years, why would we pay the bills,” she said. 

They will begin their journey on March 12. At the moment, the couple intentionally has no firm itinerary.

“We like to travel slowly and enjoy our surroundings and the people we meet in each place,” Michael explained.

The Greers will return to Victoria several times over the next decade to visit their children and take care of personal matters.

To celebrate their departure and raise awareness of the Twonie project, the Greers have organized a send-off party and pancake breakfast on March 12 at Lakeview Christian School from 9 to 11 a.m. At the end of the event, they will put on their helmets and riding gear, rev their engines and head out on the highway to begin their adventure.

POTENTIAL TIMELINE AND PREPARATIONS

Ride south along the Pacific Coast to Mariposa, California to promote their efforts at a meeting of motorcycle travellers.

Later, in Flagstaff, Arizona, they will share their story at a trade show for overlanders called Overland Expo West.

Then they will head south to Guadalajara, Mexico, to participate in an extensive Spanish language program.

In the trip’s preparations, the couple has completed a Remote First Aid Course, been inoculated with many vaccines, and had extensive conversations and exchanges with seasoned world-travel motorcyclists about what to expect.

Much of their preparation has been deciding on what essential gear to bring with them on their trip. They have just 70 litres of luggage capacity, so they can only include essentials such as identification, cell phones, a first aid kit and basic personal items like clothing and toiletries.

Michael and Angela know the inner workings of their motorcycles and how to repair them. The engines of their Hondas are easy to repair, with parts available globally.