WATSON COMPANIES PROUD TO SUPPORT BP MS150 CYCLING TEAM
WATSON COMPANIES PROUD TO SUPPORT BP MS150 CYCLING TEAM
HOUSTON –Watson Grinding & Manufacturing is proud to support Team Martini and the BP MS 150. The BP MS 150 is a two-day fundraising cycling ride organized by the National MS Society. The ride is a 180-mile journey from Houston to Austin on April 12-13, 2014 in an effort to “bike to create a world free of MS.” It is the largest event of its kind in North America. In 2013, the event raised more than $18.1 million for MS. To donate or join the cause, visit the official BPMS150 site. We invite you to follow the journey by searching #BPMS150. Follow the race at @BPMS150, and follow our team at @sherri_kurtz.
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Read Sherri’s Story:
I bet many would wonder why on earth anyone in their right mind would bike 180 miles in 2 days. Well, to tell you the truth, it was for my own selfish reason. I wanted to get back in shape after the birth of my son, and thought this would give me the extra push to do just that. While I didn’t actually know anyone personally with MS, I thought to myself, if I can help someone who has been affected with MS while getting back in shape, it was a win-win situation. Now I didn’t have much time to prepare with a young child at home, but somehow, my husband and I would find some time on the weekends and get a ride in. We thought we were getting in some great training when we could ride the trail by our house from beginning to end, which was a little less than 40 miles. And that was the extent of our training. One to two rides a week and always on the weekend.
Well, the time had come to put our “training” to the test. It was a very warm October morning; the sun was extremely bright that day and I was thankful I had brought my dark sunglasses. We started out at a decent pace and the first 40 miles were good, but then something happened at around mile 50 that my legs were telling me enough already. My mileage had eventually slowed to a crawl. My legs were starting to cramp and I was “bonking” a term used by cyclists that lets you know you need food and fast. I had no energy and the hills just kept coming. I thought to myself two things, “I want off this bike and I want off now” and “why am I doing this?” The sun was extremely brutal that day and I was hoping for a stray cloud or two to give us a break. With the sun in our face, it was easy to just look at the ground but occasionally I had to glance up ahead to see what was ahead of us in the road. In one of those glances, I could see what looked to be an old broken down gray truck on the side of the road. I kept trying to look ahead but the glare from the sun was just too much. It seemed like an odd thing, but as I came closer, I could see a little girl with blond hair sitting in the bed of the truck. Her mother was inside the cab of the truck waiting with the passenger door open. The little girl appeared to be 6 or 7 years old. When I came upon the truck, I could see the little girl holding a sign that read, “Thank you for riding for my Mommy!” A smile immediately came upon my face. The closer I got, the more excited she got, she started jumping up and down, screaming, “Thank you, Thank you! You are my hero!” As I passed her, the tears started to well up in my eyes and it was too much to hold back and I immediately thought to myself, “No kiddo, you are mine.” She made me think that, “I can do this and I will do this.” It was all that I could do to finish that day, but from that moment on; I had a reason to ride.
I often think about that little girl and her mother and wonder if they knew what an impact they had on me. I also think about how the mother is doing. Is she still getting around okay? Does she have the resources to get the medicine she needs. I hope the answer to all these questions is yes, but most of all, I hope you will join me to help find a cure for MS.
Thank you,
Sherri Kurtz, Team Martini
