Bike MS - Tour de Tanglewood
This weekend Bike MS hosted the annual Tour de Tanglewood ride in support of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The event is two days long with rides taking place on both Saturday and Sunday. Riders can choose between five different routes each day ranging from 20 to 100 miles. The bike routes travel through the country side of the Yadkin River Valley of North Carolina - world renowned for its rolling hills and beautiful country scenery. I was fortunate enough to participate in the event this year with the amazing group of riders that make up Team Normalize Compassion. Team Normalize Compassion is made up of ameateur cyclists in the Winston Salem Community and supported by some of the amazing local businesses in our area (complete list of participants and supporters listed below).
Team Normalize Compassion’s Team Leader is Molly Grace. Molly is a friend, mom, artist, musician, activist and athlete who lives with Multiple Sclerosis. She is responsible for bringing our team together and guiding us through our first year of fundraising, training and participation in the Tour de Tanglewood. Our team is unified in our purpose by our love of Molly and our love of our community. Team Normalize Compassion has worked tirelessly this summer to put on some amazing events and to date we have raised $20,000 of our $30,000 fundraising goal. This puts us in the top 10 of 50 teams fundraising this year for this ride. In doing so, Team Normalize Compassion was named Rookie Team of the Year for 2018!!!
It is very difficult for me to accurately put into words the emotions of the weekend. It is difficult to describe the intense pride and inspiration gained from watching your friends and teammates face the highs and lows that come with an endurance endeavor like this one. To be privy to the vulnerability and raw emotion that comes with the lows and participate in the excitement and sheer joy that comes with the highs, is truly a rare gift. These shared experiences are a deeply unifying force. I am completely overwhelmed by the support, enthusiasm, teamwork and sheer tenacity exhibited by our team this weekend. For many of us this weekend was our first time meeting, not to mention riding together (despite lots of communication via Whats App :-P). And yet the weekend felt natural, like a group of old friends coming together. We laughed, played, sweat and shed tears together. We sang and pedaled and covered mileage we didn’t know we were capable of covering. These people are what made this weekend a success.
We had 11 team members who completed the century ride on Saturday, 5 who participated in the 50 mile route, and 1 each in the 20 and 65 mile routes - many of us setting personal records and accomplishing much more than we ever imagined. In addition to those who participated in the ride, we also have a number of team members who participated as virtual riders and who were there in spirit, if not in person. Some from as far away as California!
To continue with my theme of #yearofthebike I participated in the 50 mile (really 55 mile) ride and am pleasantly surprised by my ability to finish the route with how undertrained I felt. That was largely in part to the amazing group of women who I rode with from Team Normalize Compassion! Thank you ladies for getting me through with a smile on my face! I can’t wait to come back next year and tackle the century (or DOUBLE century?!).
I don’t think there is any other way to describe this weekend other than as a success. I’d like to extend a very large thank you to those who have donated to my page personally. Please know that your support is very much appreciated and I am thankful for you all!! Our fundraising continues through November, so there is still time to lend support (see link below). In a final fundraising push, Molly Grace will be riding self-supported from Winston Salem to New York! This 500 mile journey will take place in October and will be documented heavily through Instagram, so please follow along in her journey. Interested in joining the team next year or being a supporter!? We would love to have you! No cycling experience necessary. Be a part of something spectacular with Team Normalize Compassion.
Photos by team members of Team Normalize Compassion unless otherwise stated.
Team Roster:
Molly Grace (Team Leader), Frances Albanese, Charles Bowhers, Tod Brilliant, Caitlin Cline, Dan Cline, Katherine Daniel, Courtney Deakle, James Douglas, Drew Gerstmyer, Greg Hanson, Sarah Howell-Miller, DeCarlo Johnson, Emmy lewis, Michael Lundquist, Meg Lyon, Dan Pennock, Adam Rabo, Kathryn Salisbury, Wes Salisbury, AJ Smith, Cody Stevens, Owen Stone, David Wainwright, Caleb Williams, Chandler Dunklin
@Team_Normalize_Compassion
Sponsors:
Hoots, Sunshine, Krankies, Southside Beer Garden and Bottle Shop, Single Brothers, Ardmore Dog Walking and Pet Services, Slappy’s Chicken, Washington Park Barber and Shave, West Salem Public House, Twin City Games, URBN GRL, SFW
