...As many of you know, Tony Ralf is the VP of the Lone Star Chapter of the MS Society. He's been the heart and soul of the Bike MS: Valero Bike to the Beach for many, many years. He has the awesome responsibility of coordinating this bike ride each year, and more importantly, for energizing people to raise money for the cause he cares so deeply about. His commitment and passion is so intense that he has done all sorts of crazy things in the past to raise money, including selling the right to shaving his head, to dying his hair and eyebrows. I've worked with Tony for years, and my commitment to this event is largely the result of his inspiration.
Tony (right) during the 2006 Friday Night Expo with his twin Ken Mayfield, the 2008-2009 Valero Tour de Cure Event Chair
Well, as you may also know, this summer Tony's sister Pauline passed away after a long bout with MS. He immediately boarded a plane to attend the funeral. After 8 years of doing the Bike to the Beach and raising money for MS, this was the first time that I found myself truly impacted by the disease - Tony was my friend, and his pain was my pain. This is what I blogged at the time -
This weekend Velo Valero experienced a loss in our extended cycling family that I have to share with you. As many of you know, Tony Ralf, VP of the Lone Star Chapter of the MS Society, has been the heart and soul of the Bike to the Beach for as long as I can remember - and this will be my ninth year to ride the event. His humor and boundless energy and enthusiasm have enabled the BTTB to grow from 500 riders during my first year to the over 3500 riders expected this year. This past Friday Tony's sister Pauline passed away after a 20-year battle with MS. Although grieving his loss, the very next morning Tony led a group of us on a dry run of the new Corpus Christi finish line route which included riding over the Harbor Bridge. Tony was as upbeat as usual, anxious to get our feedback on the proposed changes, which he believes deeply will add that extra new wrinkle to the event, which in turn will attract even more riders and raise even more dollars to battle this disease. Those of you who are part of the Velo community who look forward to the Bike to the Beach each year know that Tony is family and his loss is our loss. Tony's currently on a plane heading for Austraila to attend the funeral, but we can all still do something to show we care. If you can, go to the his team site at Pauline's Last Hurrah and make a donation - no amount is too small. As part of the online donation, write a small note to Tony letting him know how much he and the BTTB have meant to you over the years. I think this will mean more to Tony than any of us can imagine.
...After writing this, I logged into the Pauline's Last Hurrah web site and donated the first $500 for his team - and I was the first of many to do this, my friends. Tony told me when he got back to San Antonio, he had countless e-mails from friends wishing him well, and he had countless donations to his team.
But this is not the end of the story.
Tony with his brother in Sydney, in front of the bridge that became the inspiration for us to ride the Harbor Bridge this year in Corpus Christi
...A week or so later, I was eating dinner with Tony, his boss Mark, and a few of the bigger event coordinators and contributors, including guys like Chris Shaw and Steve High that have been huge supporters of the ride for years. It was at this time that the topic came up that since Tony had a team on the web site, why wasn't he planning on doing the ride? As the evening went on, the discussion became more animated (the margaritas may have had something to do with this). I immediately became convinced it was the right thing to do, and it would be a gargantuan inspiration for all the other riders in the event, particularly folks riding it for the first time. Plus, it would make Tony a better event planner, because he would know what a ride was like from a cyclist's perspective. Finally, Tony's boss Mark laid down the gauntlet - he said he knew someone who would match Tony's fundraising dollar for dollar up to $50,000 - if and only if Tony raised $50,000 and completed the ride. (Mark was convinced Tony would never complete the ride, so felt this was a no risk proposition.) I looked into Tony's eyes and saw over a short period of time a wide range of emotions - disbelief, denial, acceptance, and then, a gradual but growing enthusiasm that yes, he would do this, and he would do it like everything else he has done in his life - with gusto, and with an undeniable Aussie flair.
Tony at one of the Velo Valero family friendly rides earlier this year
Tony trained like any newbie - short, painful rides in the beginning that grew longer and faster each week. And, as you will read below, he did the Bike to the Beach, all 164 miles of it, and he did it just the way I thought he would - with gusto, and with an undeniable Aussie flair (although those yellow socks have to go!).
Yesterday, I checked his fundraising on the web site, and he was just south of $50,000. Once again, overcome by an emotion which obviously comes from the Irish side of the family, I decided that I wanted Velo Valero to be the contributor to push him over the top. At around noon, I transferred enough funds from our shared team fundraising to push him over $50,000, and therefore make him eligible for the $50,000 match. Tony knows that he has a friend in Velo Valero, but I just wanted to give him one more reminder.
...Since not all of you can get to Tony's blog at work, I'll include the entire entry he wrote after completing the Bike to the Beach this year. You are also welcome to send him a congratulory e-mail at TRALF@NMSSLONESTAR.org.
Thanks Tony, for being a great leader for us in this event, and congratulations on finally manning up and doing the ride with the rest of us!
Surprised Myself; Rode the Entire 164-Mile Route
It's been busy since Sunday, when I crossed the Finish Line for the 19th annual Valero Bike to the Beach! Yes, that's correct; with just 9 weeks training I completed the 164-mile, 2-day fundraiser. I felt so strong on the first day that I opted to ride the 100-mile route...I need to be BOLD in all that I do to make a difference, just like you did with your donation! Thank you so, so much for your support.
This note it going out from my heart to all donors and supporters of my personal cause, as I attempted to fundraise in Pauline's memory, and also raise as much money to maximize the $50,000 matching offer made to me 10 weeks ago!
You'll remember, somebody dared me. Actually they challenged me, basically saying that they doubted my ability to even be ready to line up for the ride, and if I did ride I wouldn't finish! You know me well, that kind of challenge is like a red flag to a bull, right?
So I slogged through high temperatures, leg cramps (aided later by heavy Pickle Juice consumption), very high and relentless head winds on both days (gusting to 28 MPH).
Pauline's Last Hurrah team lined up with 69 members! We crossed the Finish Line having fund-raised $105,000...and counting! This does NOT include the matching of $50,000 for my fundraising. As of today my personal total is at $49,100, just shy of $50K. There is a fundraising momentum in place that I believe will carry me beyond $50,000 by this weekend.
My brother David, and Pauline's youngest son Jeramie (a.k.a Jez) flew in from Australia to ride with me and for Pauline. Actually, I ended up riding in her memory, but also adopted a little girl (Mallory Reid) as my Champion, a program at the Society that allows us to connect with someone living with MS. Mallory is all of 6 years old, and was diagnosed with MS at the ripe old age of 2! Unacceptable, right?
The ride was a hugely emotional-filled adventure. It was an awesome time for the three amigos. Lots and lots of "ata boys" coming from the crowd, riders, volunteers, staff and other folks living with MS, all proud of the three of us riding in Pauline's memory. We were quite the buzz of the weekend!
David is quite the athlete, and of the three of us the Lance Armstrong equivalent. David finished both days in record time, taking no prisoners, just getting it done! But I'm proud of our first-day accomplishment, because the three of us took up and completed the 100-mile optional route! Geez, I hope Pauline appreciates that, my bum hurt all night... :-)
Youth is wasted on the young! Jez raced ahead and finished well ahead of his uncles on the first day. Dave waited for his older brother at the 93-mile mark, which was the ending mark for almost everyone else, but the two Ralf brothers met up and made it a Century Ride together. We circled through the route and headed for the finish line, and rode across the line in victorious salute to Pauline to thunderous applause and lots and lots of "yahoos" and praise from the announcer of the PA system. Then my boss doused me in ice-cold water...
David headed out on Sunday with the HOLT CAT team at 7 a.m., 30 minutes before the official start. They wanted to get a head start on the anticipated 28-knot head winds forecast for Sunday, the second day.
The PA announcer was calling my name to come up to the front of the Start, as my boss grabbed the microphone and sought encouragement from the 3,000 cyclists for me to lead off the group...I was pumped!
The day proved to be very difficult. The head wind was constant throughout the day, exhausting and relentless! But we weren't to be denied our victory. David finished the event at about 11 am, 4 hours after he started the 64-mile journey. Jez unfortunately was hit by another cyclist as he was helping another cyclist with a flat tire. Jez rode to our lunch stop, and the Medical staff diagnosed a strained Achilles tendon. Strapped it up and told him to call it a day! So my boss drove him from lunch to the Finish Line. He was disappointed, but was in no condition to pedal the remaining 30-plus miles with such an injury.
That left just one family member out on the route. It's amazing how lonely it can be riding in an event with 3,000 riders! The wind just strung us all out, and when we did pass each other we were so exhausted it was difficult to even say "hello!"
We passed a beautiful field filled with thousands of sunflowers in full bloom, tracking the sun across the sky, Pauline grew sunflowers at home. That began the emotional turmoil in me, as it conjured thoughts of Pauline, and so began the hardest leg for me. But I wasn't about to give up.
I arrived at the last rest stop before the finish, just 12 miles away. A good friend and cycling mentor rode back out from the Finish to escort me along the final leg of this journey. I noticed some of the official vehicles (vans, police escort, motorcycles) giving me the thumbs up as rode this final leg. I found out later that the entire HAM Radio network, about 150-200 operators, had been given instructions to track my every step for the entire 2 days. So the radio chatter had increased during the final hour.
Then we met the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge, the last mile of the journey. The arc of the bridge's road surface is as steep as the arc of the Sydney Bridge! So you can imagine I wasn't looking forward to this final challenge. But I did it, my friend was encouraging me all the way, riding alongside me as I slowly, ever so slowly pedaled. It hurt so much. I didn't ever look for the top of the bridge. Just kept looking at the road surface, thinking of Pauline and hearing my friend's encouragement, "Come on Tony, you can do it for Pauline..."
I reached the top, physically drained, and that's when the realization hit me like a truck...I'd done it! Coasting down the other side of the bridge was exhilarating, picking up speeds of 30 MPH.
There had been a stream of riders standing out of my way, hugging the side of the bridge, which I thought was a bit odd, but later found out they'd been asked to wait there for my passing...
Then I saw police flashing lights ahead of me as two local police pursuit vehicles pulled out in front of me. I thought I was going to be busted for speeding!
What happened was that the HAM radio chatter had cleared the course for my arrival. The police were there to escort me the final 1,000 meters to the finish, sirens on and lights flashing.
Sorry, but here's where the emotion bubbled up and the tears I'd been holding back ever since the sunflower field 2 hours earlier just poured fourth. I was greeted by thousands of onlookers, the DJ was saying something about me, Pauline, the team and the fundraising, but it didn't mean anything to me. I was sobbing like a new born baby as I crossed the finish line to the roaring applause. It's got me welling up now just reliving it and writing it for you!
I rounded the corner heading along the final 200 meters to the parking lot where I was met by my ever-supportive and sobbing wife, Bow, Jez...David hiding his tears behind his sunglasses (he has to remain cool), and a mass of people just wanting to share in the emotion of the moment.
It was a wonderful outpouring for Pauline's memory.
R.I.P. my dear Pauline...this one was for you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Way to go Tony - we are all so proud of you!
- Peter