Pedaling their way to a cure for Multiple Sclerosis
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
There was traffic of a different sort in downtown Austin Sunday, as 13,000 cyclists rode across the finish line.
It was all part of a two-day event which started in Houston Saturday. Participants pedaled a total of up to 180 miles in support of those with multiple sclerosis.
"Everyone affected by multiple sclerosis is different, whether it be tingling in your hands and legs, and paralysis on one side," National MS Society Development Manager Anna Leigh Kirk said.
Kirk said she started as a volunteer with the organization after she was diagnosed with the disease. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the central nervous system.
"I not only want to dedicate my outside life, but also my career to finding, to help find a cure to create a world free of multiple sclerosis," Kirk said.
According the National MS Society, about 2.1 million people live with the condition around the world. With 400,000 of those affected living in the United States and 20,000 in Texas. The MS Society said the disease is diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 to 50, with cases two or three times more common in women as men.
However, it was not just cyclists who provided vital support. Onlookers like Kathy Olson were in the crowd cheering them on as they crossed the finish line.
"It's invigorating watching them come across," Olson said. "All the riders are so excited. They're exhausted, but they're so happy to be here."
Olson has been behind the fence for seven years. This year she said she was waiting on her daughter, son-in-law and niece. While she did not have any plans to get on a bicycle herself, she said she was proud of them for riding to support a family friend.
There were other supporters who were anxious to be on a bicycle themselves, like Janice Mcfeely, who was waiting for her boyfriend.
"Next year I'm going to do it, so it's very exciting to see what goes on and how to prepare for next time," Mcfeely said.
It was that type of enthusiasm and support that did not go unnoticed by those, like Kirk, who live with the disease.
"There isn't a moment of this ride that goes by that there aren't tears in my eyes," Kirk said. "To see so many people where they may not be personally affected by MS, they're riding to save my life."
Organizers said they were on track to raise $18 million from this event alone. The BP MS 150 is one of three bike rides organized by the National MS Society.