Joey

Gokturk

My Idol

 

“You want to see something cool?” said John in a cool fashion.

            I responded with a weary, “Sure, why not.”

He then looked at me with a fire burning in his eyes as he punched the gas on his 300 horsepower black Mustang.  We were accelerating like a rocket ship into what seemed like a pretty tight turn.  His face became more and more content as he passed 70, 80, and then 90 miles per hour.  Soon we were blazing at a heart stopping 110 miles per hour straight into the turn.  I was sure that I was dead, but I had trust in him since he races cars professionally.  As I clenched my seat he whaled through the turn without slowing at all.  We made it, and he didn’t even seem phased the slightest bit.  If I didn’t know better I would say that he was still at a resting heart rate.  When I took another look at him I could see the freedom in his eyes.  I admired that power.  I had already looked up to him, but from that point on he was like a hero.

                   John Pappas is a simple hometown kind of guy.  He is 28 years old and grew up right here in Port Washington in a little house on Salem Road.  His house overlooked the bay and the sand pits down below which held in store the basis for his future.  Those very sand pits are where he learned to ride bikes and motocross.  He spent hours everyday down there with his friends riding and practicing and hanging out.  They built tracks and jumps and everything they could imagine.  He stuck with riding and grew up to become the top mountain bike racer in the northeast, and one of the best amateur motocross riders in the eastern side of the country.  He funded his somewhat expensive lifestyle of extreme sports through his job as a bike shop mechanic at the local store in town.  This is where our worlds collided to change our lives forever.

            At the innocent age of 12 I started working at the Bike Shop where I was exposed to things that I had never dreamed of in my isolated world.  I worked with all adults, the youngest being John.  They talked about adult subjects and terms that I couldn’t grasp even the slightest bit.  I sat idly in amusement.  The most intriguing character in this fine shop was John Pappas.  He was by far the youngest by at least 20 years compared to the other workers so I could identify with him much more.  He took me under his wing and taught me everything I know about riding today and more.  He became not just a work companion, but also a friend, which was very different considering he is 11 years older than me.  If I ever needed help with something he was there for me.  I was even able to call him for rides late at night if I really needed them.  He was like the big brother that I never had.  I have emulated him in all walks of life from the car I bought, a black mustang, to my sense of humor.  Not only is he an outstanding rider with an extreme and admirable personality, but he is also a remarkable person.    

            Everybody needs an idol or someone to look up to in life.  Some chose to admire a famous sports star or superhero, but my role model is just an everyday guy who has had more of an impact on my life than any media figure ever could.  My constant contact with John through work and outside interests made it so that I could become very close to him.  John Pappas, the raggedy adrenaline driven simpleton, has changed my life more than anyone has to date.