Donna Rice, Rider Coach

"SW MO Motorcycle Training Center, LLC"

After doing research in the area for need of the course and what we would need to do to bring the course to this area, Gregg and I decided to start our own business and both become instructors. We would be able to relate to the male & female population as well as the experienced, re-entry riders and the new riders. Everything we were being told by friends and fellow riders was telling us we needed to do this. The courses would greatly benefit to our community of riders, making everyone more aware as motorcyclists and motorists. We started working on it in December 2003, and it became a reality in April 2004.

When I’m not training, I’m running our business. We have a store that includes protective gear, t-shirts, helmets, gloves & headwraps. It is small but it is ours.  I maintain the scheduling and managing of our school/store, visit the dealerships and other retail that may cater to the motorcycle industry. Gregg & I also participate in the bike nights & visit riding groups to continue to promote this course and the importance as well as the incentives for taking it.

It is such a great feeling to see a rider go across the range for the first time. What a joy to see them smile from ear to ear when they have accomplished a difficult skill. This is such a rewarding place to be. No matter how hard we work through the week, this energy comes over us when we meet our new students for the first time and getting them ready to “Enjoy the Ride”. We work really hard to make the course fun and yet really stress the importance of each and every lesson, every skill.

Students have come to us at events and said, “it’s like you’re a little guy/gal sitting on our shoulder reminding us on how to go through a curve or how to stop correctly.” We even had a student come up to us after a class one evening stating “you saved my life.” When asking what happened, he explained a car was coming at him head on and when he saw he was running out of road, he was able to get his bike slowed enough that when he went off the road, instead of 35 mph it was at 5 mph. No damage to the bike, and just a bruise and small cut on his hip and arm was the result. As I said before, what a rewarding job.

Gregg and I are a team. We really enjoy each other and enjoy our time together.  We have to, we are joined at the hip from 5 p.m. on Friday to 7 p.m. on Sunday almost every weekend.