When I post this blog, the clock starts.
Bike MS Oregon 2024 exceeded all expectations
with another extraordinary event staged out of the Evergreen Aviation &
Space Museum, located in beautiful McMinnville. On September 21, almost every cyclist
completing the 100-mile century option finished in time to join the festivities
that evening. Almost every cyclist…
I crossed an imaginary finish line 15 days later,
my recumbent bicycle mounted on a trainer in my garage.
Worst to First
Sentimental reasons pushed last year’s ride back
to October 6, the 25th anniversary of my first time exposed to the words
“possible multiple sclerosis.” I struggled with that milestone and opted to
remain reclusive, sharing the anxiety of my memories through a one-way channel
of social media blogs and video clips. Overwhelming support for my efforts
filled me with a twang of, “Man, I miss this.”
My lonely ride through the meandering roads and
cresting hills of my garage this year will be the unofficial start of bike MS,
one full week before everyone hits the road in still-beautiful McMinnville.
On September 13, I ride.
62 days. Less than 1,488 hours. Minutes, seconds,
well, you get the point.
Preparations will go beyond attempting to turn my
body into something capable of completing another century ride. 2025 will
re-create something I have not felt in bike MS for some time. Pure,
unadulterated celebration! I need to recapture the joy that is our fight. If
I’m not having fun, if I’m not smiling, if I don’t share my celebration
excitement, I’m fucked. My symptoms are worse than they were last year.
Struggles and therapies to regain stamina in my walking only seemed to
highlight the decline in my upper body, vision, bladder, etc., etc., etc. It
doesn’t scare or threaten to fill me with rage. My failing physical condition
makes me want to stand up center stage so that everyone can see the ear-to-ear
smile on my face as I assert my defiance in the face of adversity.
There is no single phrase for my 2025 theme.
Defiant Celebration is the closest, but it doesn’t capture every sway of
emotion.
I usually set this quote at the end of my posts.
When you read the words, try to imagine this moment as I am shouting from my
desk.
Because it is a fight.
The fight is not over and it won’t be over until a cure is found.
It will never stop…nor will we
It will never quit…nor will we
This is why we fight for them!
My left hand barely works; I don’t type (haven’t
for years). Artificial intelligence and voice-to-text technology are great, but
they don’t carry the volume of emotion surrounding my declaration. Picture me
barking into the microphone, every word a deliberate overpronunciation. All the
while, that smile persists.
Moments of adversity have created some of the
most pivotal snapshots in my life. I lost count of the number of times my
despair boiled over with reactions violating each of the seven deadly sins. I
regret them, the damage they caused me, and the hurt I inflicted on others. I
will never undo my stupidity, but I am learning from it and will build on the
mountain of times I channeled hardships into resilience.
My courage and determination as I stare down the
devastating effects of multiple sclerosis are what I celebrate in 2025. I will rejoice
in solitude on September 13 so I can join my fellow MS warriors in McMinnville
on September 20. Together, we will show the world that we will never stop riding
and fundraising in support of our fight; we will never quit until another
person never sits in stunned silence to read the words “possible multiple
sclerosis.”
Today, I have two months. I’m going to do some of
the typical stuff. Yes, I will subject you to my fundraising pleas for
donations and support. No, they’re not going to address my struggles. You can
see it in my body whenever I struggle to move. 2025 is hyper-focused on the
momentum of my adrenaline and the glory of what we are doing in this fight.
Last year, I documented the events leading up to
my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 1999. This year, I’m going to take you on
a real-time adventure as I turn bike MS 2025 into a spectacle of excitement and
celebration. I’m calling this tour Garage Dayz.
Step
#1 – Branding the Mission
The MS Society has its jersey and T-shirt designs commemorating the event. Well, we are going to commemorate Garage Dayz.
Thanks to our partnership with Amazon Merch on
Demand, you can get this commemorative swag (short-sleeved, long-sleeved, raglan,
and more). This link will take you to the full list of items directly on their
website. About five dollars from every purchase will go NEVER STOP NEVER QUIT,
funding our donations in support of this fight.
Amazon.com:
NEVER STOP NEVER QUIT 2025 Garage Dayz
Get yours today
and post a picture on social media wearing this one-of-a-kind! Don’t forget to
tag me. On the 13th, I will be out in Multnomah Village, decked out in my shirt
as I enjoy a tasty beverage. I’m dying to see how many supporters will wear their
Garage Dayz swag in solidarity.
I also designed
a moisture-wicking shirt for sale in our Printify store (click here to visit)
yesterday. When my shirt arrives, I’ll share a picture.
Step
#2 – Setting the Mood
Curiosity
set in when I started to think about what I could do in my garage to make it
look like the insanely festive event this ride will be. It’s a good thing I
have two months, an overly active imagination, and the 15-year-old daughter who
inherited my need to showboat! Garage Dayz preparation will become an event in
and of itself.
Step
#3 – The Ride
We’ll talk
more about this later, but I’m in it to ride 100 miles, update my supporters on
the progress, and create a spark to remake the next stage of this fight.
I’ve talked
too much already. I just want to put my blog post out and start celebrating the
countdown. There is so much I want to do, hope to do, need to do. Thank you for
being my constant source of motivation.
Never Stop… Never Quit…®
Follow,
Shop, or Donate Today: https://NeverStopNeverQuit.com
