It was so fun to get this e-mail from Katrina whom I have never met or spoken to. I loved hearing her challenging story about her ride for MS. It is amazing to me how we all have a story to tell. We all have something to share with someone else that could possibly change lives. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. You are amazing.
EVERYONE HAS A STORY - Katrina Ormson
Every year in Houston, there is a 2 day fundraising ride from Houston to Austin for MS. It's 150-180 miles (depending on where you start) plus a night of camping. I've never been a camper, or any sort of endurance athlete, but after teaching spin for a few years, I figured it was high time I actually tried the real thing!
Riding in the MS 150 was probably one of the most challenging things I have ever done. We had beautiful weather, but that didn’t help the pain I felt in my knees after the never ending rolling hills that we encountered basically the whole way to Austin! People are amazing on the ride and generally very considerate and friendly. The towns we pass through are amazing! People will line the streets with bubble machines and music and cheer the riders on! Others leave messages along the road with little tidbits of encouragement. One guy (and his huge dog) even parked a van with huge speakers next to a field and blared rock’n’roll as we rode by! The night in La Grange was definitely interesting! People are really friendly and there is a lot of great food and live music! People would visit all the tents thanking the riders for doing this. Everyone had a story to tell on how MS had affected their lives or someone dear to them. The second day was by far the hardest. The rolling hills continue and you have an option of taking a challenge route through a park. I opted to skip the challenge because my knees were killing me. I still hit some crazy long hills and was proud to actually make it up every one without walking my bike! I ended up riding in a pace line for the last 35 miles with some guys from my team. They were my lifesavers’ blocking the wind and keeping me going!
We rolled into Austin and tons of people were cheering us on as we hit the finish line under the capital building! That was VERY cool! The volunteers along the way were fantastic and made it possible to keep going! The whole experience was just amazing. It was a beautiful ride for a beautiful cause and I’m so thankful I got to be a part of it.
-Katrina Ormson
3 comments:
way to go KAT! it must have been a killer ride and a great cause! (ps: this is a bagley from rexburg. as in jon bagley with teton west building. heather-you probs know her older sister)
Thanks for sharing my story!
That's my buddy, she amazes me, inspires actually. Yahoo to Kat and saving people with riding a bike.
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