ROAR Tribe board of directors

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Ruslan is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult) of Arthur and Amanda Yankilevich.  He first started racing at 9 years old in youth UTV's, and made his first claim to fame by jumping the Glamis Canal at 10 years old in a Polaris RZR.  He has been involved in a tremendous amount of social media/YouTube content with the Hoonigans, Blake Wilkey, BJ Baldwin, UTV Takeover, The Vich Fam and many more entities. He is an experienced desert racer as well, having finished both the Mint 400 and Vegas To Reno (in Polaris UTV) as youngest kids to complete those races.  He also is the youngest to ever enter the full King of the Hammers UTV race in Pro Stock Class, entering and almost finishing in his first attempt at age 13.  He has 4 attempts at the King of the Hammers UTV race under his belt, both with Polaris and Can Am.  He later moved on to racing 1450 trucks with "Huckson", his heavily modified Ford Ranger.  Now he is the Driver of Record for the ROAR Tribe #290 Brenthel Spec Trophy Truck. 

Jaden is 23 years old and was born and raised in Jamul, California.  He has been around the SoCal off-road scene his entire life.  He spent the last three years co-driving with wins and podiums at events including The Mint 400, King of the Hammers, and short course races.  Alongside racing, he works in the off-road industry as a Trophy Truck mechanic and suspension specialist.  He is proud to bring his experience to ROAR Tribe and being a part of building a strong future for the team.  He is a Deaf Ally and learning ASL for the team and for the future of deaf drivers and codrivers in the off-road industry.  

Arthur was born and raised in Southern California, and he proudly identifies as Deaf. He grew up racing Sprint oval cars and Jr Dragsters. Years later, his passion for racing was reignited through his son, Ruslan. As Ruslan developed into a well-known off-road racer, he inspired Arthur to re-enter the racing world, and now they share driving duties with an off-road racing team featuring their Trophy Truck. Before becoming a full-time content creator with The Vich Fam, Arthur built a successful career in manufacturing and welding, starting in the off-road industry before transitioning to aerospace, where he built components for aircraft programs. He later spent a couple of years Tig welding for SpaceX and various U.S. government contracts. Today, he is a full-time content creator, Deaf leader, and advocate for accessibility advocacy. Through his work, he strives to inspire others, break barriers, and give back to the Deaf community while promoting greater accessibility, representation, and inclusion, particularly in motorsport.

Donnie became profoundly deaf when he was a year and a half old due to Meningitis, and he has worn a Cochlear Implant for the past 26 years. Born and raised in Texas, he now resides in Houston with his wife Alex and their four children. In the Oil & Gas industry, he works as an Account Sales Manager for an international oil tools service company. Donnie has spent the last 8 years involved with off-road racing, including Dirt Riot, Texas Desert Racing, and Ultra4 with experience in UTV's, 4600 Stock Class, 4800 Mod and 4400 Unlimited classes, and has been recreational rock crawling for 24 years. As a passionate advocate for accessibility and a role model for deaf representation in the motorsports industry, he is incredibly excited about the opportunity with ROAR Tribe to reach and inspire a nationwide audience.

Alex was born and raised in Long Island, NY, before moving to Texas in 2009. She is a Regional Clinical Director and Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over a decade of experience working with patients with severe Autism. Alongside her professional commitments, she enjoys spending time with our four children, who range in age from 18 to 12 years old. With six years of experience in off-road racing, she has earned multiple podiums with TEXPLEX and MidAmerica Outdoors in SXS racing. Alex is excited about her role as a Deaf Ally with ROAR Tribe and is committed to accessibility advocacy, striving to improve her ASL skills while promoting deaf representation in motorsport.

My name is Seth, and I lost my hearing at 1 year old to Meningitis. I have dedicated the past 20 years to the automotive industry, focusing on accessibility advocacy for those with hearing loss. As the owner of my own auto repair shop, I take pride in delivering quality workmanship, honest service, and building lasting relationships with my customers. I am passionate about deaf representation in motorsport and thrilled to support initiatives that promote inclusivity. Outside of work, I enjoy cars and motorcycles, with a genuine passion for automotive performance and craftsmanship. I'm also excited to be a member of the ROAR Tribe, an off-road racing team, and look forward to growing and building with the team.

I am Joey Choate, born deaf and raised in Arizona. My life has been shaped by hard work, craftsmanship, and a passion for the outdoors. Happily married to my wife, Jennie, for 19 years, we enjoy life with our Deaf Blue Heeler. As a Team Lead and builder at Airkewld, I focus on crafting high-quality custom parts, taking pride in work built to last while guiding a team committed to quality and innovation. Outside of work, you'll often find me in the garage fabricating and restoring classic vehicles, working on my sandrail, doing custom metalwork, or heading out to the sand dunes for off-road racing adventures. I am eager to embrace this new journey with ROAR Tribe, where I can support accessibility advocacy and promote deaf representation in motorsport. Whether I'm building in the shop or exploring the Arizona desert, I am always searching for the next challenge and opportunity to create something exceptional. I aim to inspire Deaf youth to pursue their dreams, believe in themselves, and realize they can—PAH!

Matt Smith was born deaf and has lived in AZ for most of his life. He is passionate about automotive and fabrication, and he previously worked as a wildland firefighter, which he considers one of his favorite jobs. In addition to his love for off-road racing, he is actively involved in accessibility advocacy and promotes deaf representation in motorsport. His hobbies include signing ASL with the worship team at his Church's CCV and enjoying time cruising in his truck and motorcycle.

Mark was born deaf and raised in California, where he developed a passion for technology, engineering, and building solutions that enhance accessibility advocacy. He has always believed that technology should solve real-world problems and create opportunities for everyone, regardless of how they communicate. For more than 18 years, he worked in Engineering for a Video Relay Service provider, contributing to the technology that connects Deaf and Hearing communities through sign language interpreting. Currently, he is employed full-time at T-Mobile, where he continues to focus on networking and communication technologies. Outside of his career, he is constantly generating new ideas, whether through creating software platforms, improving accessibility, or designing innovative communication systems—such as helping deaf drivers communicate effectively with pit crews in off-road racing. He enjoys transforming ideas into practical solutions that make a difference. Mark is excited to be a part of the ROAR Tribe community, where he can connect with other innovators, engage in shared experiences, and continue building technology that supports deaf representation in motorsport and creates a more accessible and connected world.