Bike MS: From City To Shore 2017
Previously I discussed the prospect of participating in the National MS Society’s fundraising event Bike MS: From City to Shore. While I made the decision not to bike it this year, I will be participating as a volunteer at the event! My goal is to participate next year as a biker, giving myself more ample time to properly train.
I will be participating with Team Grinds My Gears, led by my friend Stuart Kinckner. Stu and I have known each other since college when he started dating his wife Meloni. She will be joining me as a volunteer this year and on the course next year! Stu has a demanding career in hotel management and is a father of two but still, makes time to take care of himself as well.
Stu’s Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle and Bike MS
“For a very long time, I never paid much attention to what I put in my body. Then you start to notice things changing as you get older. It was about 8 years ago when I decided to do something about it. I cut out sweets and sodas amongst other things. I started rock climbing and realized how much better I felt. About 2 years ago I met my friend Isaiah, a professional boxer and very much into fitness, that I realized I could accomplish even more physically and push my limits. I started going to the gym weekly and soon my visits became more frequent. Watching what I was eating and keeping up with my fitness, I felt like I went back in time. At the age of 34, I physically feel like I did when I was 18 and feel confident in my body. Growing up I was never really into sports. Now feeling like I can accomplish anything, I decided to search for a challenge. I started riding a bike actively about 4 months ago. Now I needed more of a purpose other than fitness. What better purpose than contributing to finding a cure for this horrible disease, Multiple Sclerosis. I have never pushed myself to such limits as I plan to for this cause. Take a stand with me and help support the cause.”
What is the money raised used for?
The National MS Society helps provide support for individuals and families impacted by MS. They provide resources from educational information, to mental support teams, to financial assistance, to research funding. The main goal is to find a cure and end a world with MS. Your donation can help in this research, can provide an individual with MS the medications they need to reduce further damage and cope with the disease, or even provide financial assistance for a better future.
The National MS Society is a non-profit that I strongly support as their website and resources helped me during my own personal diagnosis. Searching the internet can be a scary thing when you are looking for medical information, and multiple sclerosis is scary enough to cope with already. Initially, I was not given any information from the neurologist, because of the vast amount of resources on their site both myself and my mom were able to find reliable information and help us process the information.
Please join us in fighting for a world free of MS, whether you donate, join our team as a rider or volunteer, or share our story with your friends and family we greatly appreciate all of the support.
