Wind therapy

Kristina from Croatia credits her Harley-Davidson^® motorcycle for getting on her on the road to recovery and giving her a new zest for life

Have you ever been to the shops for one thing, only to end up with something you never knew you needed? That’s what happened to Kristina from Dubrovnik, Croatia, when she upgraded her vacuum cleaner in 2019. The nearest store for the model she wanted was in Split, so she made the 200km journey with her husband Vlaho to pick one up. It just so happened that a Harley-Davidson^® dealership was next to the vacuum cleaner shop and Kristina asked Vlaho if they could pop in.

“The only thing with two wheels I’d ridden was a bicycle as a child, but my greatest wish was to sit on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and have someone start it for me feel so I could feel the power and hear that head-turning sound,” says Kristina. “I walked into the dealership carrying my new vacuum and the salesman asked which bike I wanted to buy. Totally confused, I told him I was only looking, to which he replied: ‘But madam, this one would be perfect for you.’ I turned around and saw a 2018 H-D^® Sportster^® 1200 Iron, which he’d pushed to the middle of the store. I started stuttering, but he insisted that I at least sit on the bike. I had no choice. My heart was beating like crazy, then the salesman started the engine and I was overwhelmed by a feeling of sheer happiness!”

Kristina made her way home to Dubrovnik with Vlaho and the new vacuum, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the Sportster Iron. Vlaho, who also had no knowledge of motorcycles, noticed this and started researching Harley-Davidson by watching videos on YouTube. “I’m looking at which Harley-Davidson to buy you,” he told her.

“I almost dropped my plate in shock,” laughs Kristina. “He told me that when I sat on the Sportster Iron in the dealership and the salesman started the engine, everything around me shone. He decided that day he was going to buy me a bike no matter what.”

After more research on Harley-Davidson models, Vlaho asked when Kristina, then 40, was planning on getting her bike licence, so she happily booked lessons. However, she was halfway through her course when she was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma.

“Shock is a small word to describe the tectonic upheaval that occurs in your life and the lives of your loved ones when you receive such news,” says the mum-of-two. “I had to have an emergency operation and asked Vlaho what we were going to do about the Sportster 1200 Iron we’d ordered, but he said there was no way we were giving up the purchase because he knew it would motivate me to fight the cancer. As I was leaving the hospital, still weak from the operation, I urged Vlaho to take me to the dealership and he held me while I signed the purchase documents.”

Fittingly, the Sportster Iron was delivered around the time of Kristina’s birthday, and she remembers the day vividly. “It’s hard to explain the hurricane of feelings that overwhelmed me – the fear for my life, what the results of the operation would show and the indescribable happiness when I saw the Iron parked in front of my house. Tears were streaming down my face.”

Since that day five years ago, Kristina has relished every second on her Sportster Iron, which she uses for commuting and off road, and is now also the owner of a 2019 Road King^® Special she takes on long trips (both bikes have clocked up 22,000km). Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Vlaho got his bike licence and now joins Kristina on a Heritage Softail^® Classic. They are both H.O.G.^® Life Members and joined H.O.G. Chapter Dalmacija Croatia and H.O.G. Chapter Pleter Croatia, enjoying adventures with like-minded people, including riding the famous Route 66 in the US.

“Being a H.O.G member has opened up new roads for me; it gives me a sense of belonging and has enriched my life with wonderful people,” reveals Kristina, who is in remission. “My experience of riding a Harley^® is like an addiction; I just can’t get enough. Every time I ride my bike my pain and fears disappear. No amount of therapy has the healing power of a Harley-Davidson. With each ride I’m reborn and enjoy life more.

“But the real hero of this story is my husband. He recognised my passion for Harley-Davidson, and with his love he enabled me to enjoy every kilometre travelled. Now, on our own bikes, we defy all the difficult moments that life throws at us and share the happiness and love.”