Richard Hughes

Born in Willowdale, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto, Richard Craig Hughes, like many Canadian kids, grew up loving the game of ice hockey. His childhood was not unlike that of the average northerner; skating, tobogganing, and building snowmen all winter long and spending summers at the lake. Richard always figured he would someday play hockey for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but his hockey career would be cut short when his family moved down to South Florida when he was only eight years old.

At first there didn't seem to be much in common between southern Ontario and South Florida, but kids eventually adapt to their environments, and Richard found another sport to become passionate about when the boys in his neighborhood began riding dirt bikes. His dad bought him an old trail bike for his 15th birthday and his new hobby just took off: the sport of motocross.

Since those bygone days of riding and racing dirt bikes, Richard has also been a surfer, a runner, and another kind of dirt biker, a mountain biker.

Richard's work resume' reads something like this: 30 years of experience working in hospital Central Service departments; 5 years of experience in landscape maintenance; 10 years working as a golf course maintenance crew member; and 2 years as a diesel mechanic apprentice at a truck stop.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Richard's life, however, is the return to his original roots as an ice hockey player in none other than his newly adopted home in Central Florida.

Richard lives in Central Florida with his wife of 15 years and still enjoys mountain biking, hiking through the woods, and playing goalie at the local ice rink. He and his wife share the love of three children, five grandchildren, and one really awesome dog.