A few months ago we had Jeff Davidson on the show on an episode called Riding a Dirt Ribbon North to Alaska. Jeff is a motorcycle journalist and an avid rider, and he told us about his first trip riding the Dalton Highway. He talked about the Dalton’s reputation as a difficult road, and how he debated riding the Dalton, that it was a big step for him to tackle this remote northern road and how he pushed himself out of his comfort zone to ride the Dalton.

And out of all the riders he met along the way, one rider in particular was an inspiration to him, Jackie Layng. Jackie and her partner Davide Focardi came from Ireland to America in part to ride the Dalton and then to continue down into South America. Jeff was particularly taken by the fact that Jackie was a relatively new rider, with little experience and that she had the confidence to ride the Dalton.

On this episode we meet Jackie and Davide, and to say that Jackie is full of confidence couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, when Jackie listened to the episode that Jeff Davidson was on she was shocked to hear Jeff describe her as an inspiration to him. Especially because part of Jackie’s motivation for the trip is to overcome the anxiety that had been infiltrating her life.

And Davide has been dreaming of doing a trip like this all his life, riding off into the unknown. For Davide it’s all about the challenge, pushing his own limits, exploring wild areas that are unavailable in Europe.

So we almost have two sides of the spectrum, one looking to overcome anxiety and build confidence, and the other searching for a test of his.

Follow Jackie and Davide’s adventures at J&D On The Road.