Together, Anything is Possible
Why We Fight MS
Having multiple sclerosis means that you may suddenly have blurry vision. Or that your memory will fail you for no apparent reason. Or that you may not always be able to walk, let alone ride a bike. The symptoms of MS are different, and devastating, for everyone - the only certainty is that it will affect yet another person every hour of every day.
Why I Ride
When I started working for the PGA Tour, I didn't play golf. Someone I work with, who had been recently diagnosed with MS, was a very good golfer and taught me to play. Rob and I would occasionally play 18 holes, but as the disease progressed, 18 became 9. 9 became just a few holes. Just a few holes became chipping and putting. Now, he can't play at all. He can barely walk, and does most of his getting around in a wheelchair. He uses speech recognition software to help him work, because the fingers don't type on a keyboard like they used to. I tell this story to people who haven't known Rob long, and they find it hard to believe he used to be a good golfer. I find it harder to believe he can't again. I started by saying Rob taught me to play golf. Those who have seen me play know he left the job unfinished. I ride for him, and the hope that one day he can play again. He isn't the only one. There are so many good reasons to ride, and each is a real person, living with MS. I ride for my dear friend Jodi's sister. I ride for another good friend Kristie's sister. I ride for the many like them who have given up their favorite pastimes, their livelihoods, their balance, their vision, and more to this disease, and the day when we can stop others from having to make the same sacrifice.
This was my third year riding in the Bike MS: PGA TOUR Cycle to the Shore because I want to do something for all these people who have been diagnosed - and because I want to do what I can to prevent more people from learning what it means to live with this disease. This is the best reason I can think of to spend two days on my bike, and it's plenty reason enough. Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability. Tomorrow there will be a cure, and we will help make that happen. How awesome is that?
Why You Should Join the Movement, and Sponsor Me
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society will use funds collected from the Bike MS: PGA TOUR Cycle to the Shore to not only support research for a cure tomorrow, but also to provide programs which address the needs of people living with MS today. Because we can fight this disease and help thousands of people through riding in, and contributing to, the Bike MS: PGA TOUR Cycle to the Shore, we are now getting closer to the hour when no one will have to hear the words, "You have MS." Together, we rock, and that's why you should sponsor me. Without you, all I do is roll. Please consider helping me do more than just ride a bike.
