This was my job for the day: to make the riders as comfortable as possible and to provide morale and emotional support as needed. One of the women I was volunteering with had both her son and husband riding, her 22yo son having been diagnosed at 19 under circumstances very similar to David's. (David happened to meet the father and son while biking, and we had dinner with them at the banquet.) I was also stationed with a man who's been living with MS for almost 20 years. This was the first opportunity I've had to really interact with other members of the MS community.
Our hero at work! Coming into my rest stop.The banquet Saturday night was really moving. Two prominent members spoke about their experiences with MS. One in particular, really inspired us. This younger, very active, man diagnosed 3 years ago celebrates the fact the fact that he can still do, instead of magnifying his shortcomings. He looks at it as a giant "middle finger" to MS.
We've been very selective in who we've talked to about MS in the past. This weekend really helped both of us, probably David more so, to be more vocal. Even though the disease affects everyone differently, it was still a connection. David found that he could be an active participant and an example, and I found comfort in seeing how family and friends handle MS in their lives.
More heroes at work. The man in the picture on the left lost his leg to cancer and still rides upright - well enough to do the long ride both days (and much stronger/faster than David). The man in the picture on the right is a paraplegic who amazingly completed the complete 88 miles with a hand cranked tricycle, pulling into the finish line 13 hours after starting!
Brewskies at the finish line on Day 2. Another tribute to the spirit of camaraderie during the ride. I'm really looking forward to next year's ride. Hopefully we'll be riding as team Scrymgeour!
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