Maya Huckleberry
Judy (a.k.a Maya Huckleberry) has an adventure-seeking soul. Because she resides in Alaska, adventure is found in her backyard. Judy has a passion for exploring the world while sitting atop a motorcycle. She also loves hiking, riding her bike, traveling, photography, coffee, trying new beers, and eating good food.
Judy, born in Salt Lake City, Utah, had a natural curiosity which led her outside. Her first loves were skateboarding and bike riding in the mud. Being told these activities were “not what girls do,” drove Judy to embrace them more. She searched for anything that sounded dangerous and fun. She met her future husband, Michael, and avid dirt bike rider, Thus stemmed her next love: motorcycles.
Marriage, two children and a move to Alaska started the next chapter of their lives.
Judy built a career with the National Park Service in Alaska an her love for the outdoors grew over the next 30+ years living in and working in Alaska. Michael and Judy raised their two daughters to embrace adventure as well. Family vacations included battling the mosquitoes while camping every weekend in the summer, exploring the historic town of McCarthy and the Kennecott Mine, entering into the Fireweed 400 cycling race, and hauling supplies to a cabin in the middle of nowhere in the winter to spend Christmas beside a pile of branches the family called a tree.
Judy’s desire for experience is rooted in acknowledging that life is short and every second should be spent living in the moment. When she was little, it was discovered that Judy had a progressive auditory condition that would eventually amount to a complete loss of hearing. Although she has worn hearing aids most of her life, recently, the loss was significant enough, she acquire a service dog – hearing dog Rasta.
Judy has refused to accept any limitations and instead views setbacks as simple challenges to overcome. She has pedaled her bicycle across America (twice!), has run marathons, competed in triathlons, is learning to play the flute, is slowly covering all the continents by motorcycle, and most importantly, laughs every day.