Preston’s story: Healing through motorbikes

Preston O’Brien is especially passionate about two things: motorcycles and connection.

He has been the ride host for the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) in Auckland for 3 years now and is also the co-founder of the much loved Every Sunday Motorcycle Collective (ESMC).

Every year sees the DGR gentlefolk start their engines and ride, all in the name of men’s health. For Preston, it’s that and so much more. We got the chance to chat with Preston to learn more about his story and how he found his purpose.

‘’I grew up with a lot of trauma and abuse, and I spent my whole life running away from that. This led to addiction, crime and attempting to take my own life. I was punishing myself and as a result I was punishing everyone around me. I was the living example of - “hurt people, hurt people”. A big part of my sobriety was my partner. I didn’t want to lie to her anymore and keep it all to myself, so I told her everything. I didn’t want to lose her. I reached out to her, the person closest to me, and from that point on, she helped me get back on track.’’

Preston grew up in a generation where it was considered weak to speak, weak to be vulnerable. Preston says its only recently that he has seen this behaviour start to fade, “You can’t expect your mates to share with you how they’re feeling if you can’t share with them. Sometimes you have to be vulnerable first. For the first 30 years of my life, I was told you’re not allowed to cry, you’re not allowed to feel, you’re not allowed to do anything, and it’s hammered into you from a young age.”

It's Preston’s third year as ride host for DGR. It’s a big job which see upwards of 400 riders congregate in the centre of Auckland. Whether you ride or not, being there on the day to witness the extravagant outfits and vintage bikes is a great way to spend an afternoon. The day is also about connection and men like Preston sharing their own personal stories with each other.

“I love getting up and giving my speech before the ride and sharing my story. It’s terrifying, but I love it. I talk about connection, I talk about suicide, and I always share something new that I’ve learnt from either my therapist or somebody else such as ways to help yourself or those close to you. I’ll get twenty or thirty messages come through afterwards. Men will thank me and explain how they are going through tough times themselves and that the speech really helped them. I really do feel like I am making a difference.’’

A few years ago, Preston and his mate John Shephard started ESMC. Their motto is simple – ‘Building bonds & making moto-mates’. Every Sunday riders get together for a group ride with a stop-off halfway to chat and connect.

“A lot of guys tend to ride to get away from their problems and, as a result, fail to address them. At ESMC every Sunday we ride with the crew for about 40 minutes and then we all stop and take time to talk/connect before we take off again. It’s an incredible community and it’s exciting to see it grow more and more each week. I really do feel like I have found my purpose through riding. Which is helping men to connect.’’

You can catch Preston at the Auckland DGR ride on Sunday 19th May. Otherwise head to the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride to find your nearest ride. We can’t wait to see you there!