Living at Full Throttle: What Would You Do If Fear Were Not Your First Thought?

Just weeks before a motorcycle trip to Iceland, middle-aged high school teacher Kathleen Terner receives startling news from her cancer doctor, throwing her trip and her future into doubt. Her story vividly recounts how her harrowing travels earlier through Alaska to the Arctic Ocean gave her strength to face the daunting news from a position of power. Kathleen's heart-warming tales of adventures through twenty-four countries illustrate how to overcome fear, embrace it, or pivot when prudent. Her lively descriptions of life on the road woven with details of her faith can help us all learn how to live fully in the moment, be open to adventure, and treat others with kindness regardless of circumstances. This book is a sequel to her first memoir, Two-Wheeled Wind Therapy.

After receiving positive feedback on her first book, Two-Wheeled Wind Therapy, published in 2021, Kathleen Terner sought advice from loved ones about when to pen a second book. Her daughter wisely noted, “Mom, it's not every year that you have a life-changing epiphany. Wait until you have something new to write about.” Taking Eleanor's advice to heart, Kathleen focused on living out what she had already put to paper, looking for more ways to grow as a person, and sharing her inspiring message through public speaking opportunities.

Of course, she also hit the road, learning more life lessons through her motorcycle travels to all forty-eight contiguous states, up through Alaska to the Arctic Ocean, and across Canada to Newfoundland.

The unexpected medical news she received in June of 2023 put her philosophy of asking “What would you do if fear were not your first thought?” to the test. Her response to this challenging report gave her greater clarity about the ways we can all respond to fear from a position of power instead of powerlessness. It also heightened her awareness about the importance of living each day at “Full Throttle.”

Kathleen is the proud mother of three adult children, has taught high school math for almost twenty years, is active in her church and community, and has a thriving tutoring business that has helped finance her motorcycle travels to twenty-four countries