Remembering Mark Hucklebridge
By Team TMX on 22nd Mar 17
The death last week of Mark Hucklebridge after a long and courageous battle with cancer prompted a flood of tributes from around the world.
A former British SX champion, British motocross championship contender and GP racer, his seven-year fight was conducted with the same tenacity that typified his racing career.
Here his close friend Carly Rathmell pays her own personal tribute to the man we all knew as ‘Huck'...
‘On Wednesday March 15 the racing world lost one of its most colourful characters. Judging by the public outpour on social media for the rest of the week, Mark ‘Huck' Hucklebridge had an everlasting impact on every single person he ever met.
Meant
The tributes over the weekend at various races including a very moving tribute by the MXGP team show just how much he meant to everyone in the sport.
Mark Hucklebridge was not only a fantastic rider, achieving more than most in his motocross career with Weston wins, top 10 GP finishes and battles for the British championship.
He was also one of the best-loved people within the sport. You would only need to meet him once for him to leave an impact on you forever.
He taught some of the best current UK riders via the ACU Academy with Josh Waterman, Ben and Nathan Watson, Ryan Houghton and Mel Pocock among the riders who have all gone forward to achieve great things.
In 2010 he was diagnosed with bowel, liver and lung cancer and that is when his next race started.
He knuckled down and was determined to keep fighting no matter what was thrown at him but, after endless operations, in January 2014 he was diagnosed as inoperable and at that point all the doctors were able to do was prolong his life.
He fought with the sort of true grit and determination that only Huck knew how to. He never wanted the cancer to rule his life, he wanted to rule it.
He did that and threw himself at everything with 100 per cent dedication and it was not long before his son Charlie followed in Huck's footsteps and threw his leg over a bike.
Charlie raced the AX Tour this year, a sport that Huck excelled at winning national titles in 2001 and 2005.
He was so proud to be able to watch Charlie compete in the series for the first time.
Huck meant the world to so many people and just some of the words that summed him up this last week were ‘brave', ‘strong', ‘fighter', ‘hero', ‘legend', ‘courageous', ‘inspirational', ‘loyal', ‘humble' and ‘kind'.
To many and to myself he was also a friend and he will be very sadly missed by many people.
I know he gave many people in his situation some hope and strength to keep fighting whatever was thrown at them.
His fight was relentless - he never wanted to give up, exactly the same mind-set as to when he was riding which kept him strong and he always had a next goal despite any setbacks.
He was extremely honoured to be able to set up the ‘Friends of Huck' charity with his amazing wife Emma, cousin and very close friend Tom Church and best friend Neil Carroll.
Huck was determined to ensure money was raised and always tried to take part in any fund-raising event happening.
Seeing pictures and videos of him riding a horse and ploughing a field is a sight I won't forget!
In doing so the team, friends, family and everyone else involved have managed to raise over £100,000 - money that goes towards cancer charities and also to seriously ill or injured riders.
He always wanted to put back into the sport despite everything he was going through and his name will always live on through the Friends of Huck charity.
Huck for me was the kindest person I've met.
He was loyal, always there as a listening ear, kind and honest. To many he was a hero and a legend.
He leaves behind his lovely wife Emma, little boy Charlie, his mum, dad and sister Jackie plus thousands of friends and extended family that his met along the way in his very short 38 years.
He will never be forgotten...'
