Kathy with ST/Dystonia Executive Director, Howard Thiel.
September 23, 2010
This is the last day of my Cycle for Dystonia ride. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. For the last time I head out onto US 9 south. It is a warm day as I cycle through Ossinger, New York. I ride into the village of Sleepy Hollow and am greeted with a yawn. Sleepy Hollow is steeped in folklore and immortalized by Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. I ride through the village and am on the lookout for the infamous Headless Horseman.
I enter Tarrytown, New York and ride by the gates of Lyndhurst Mansion. Tall stone walls surround the country home and a 67-acre park. I ride up and down hills into Irvington, named after the author Washington Irving. Many of the towns have Metro-North Railroad stations via the Hudson Line. Within minutes, people can arrive in New York’s Grand Central Terminal.
When I arrive in Dobbs Ferry, I turn onto Ashford Avenue. The busy city street leads me to the village of Ardsley. Four miles later, I arrive at The Bronx River Pathway. I jump on the four-mile segment that runs from the train station in Scarsdale to Palmer Road in Bronxville.
The path starts by a beautiful flowing waterfall. It crosses the Bronx River several times on rustic wooden bridges. At one point, it passes under a bridge and I have to duck to ride under it. The heavily wooded path shadows the Bronx River Parkway and eventually leads me to Bronxville where I meet Rodge and Bailey. We end Cycle for Dystonia with “high fives” and hugs. It is time to celebrate.
A shout out to Kevin and Corrie. Thanks for coming to New York to help us celebrate!
September 24, 2010
Cycle for Dystonia officially ended at the ST/Dystonia annual symposium in Elizabeth, New Jersey. I rode Destiny into the conference room and arrived at the podium where Howard Thiel thanked me and presented me with an award. The rest of the symposium was very educational with fantastic speakers and topics. It was also wonderful meeting many of the people who supported me.
Cycle for Dystonia has been an amazing experience. The people I’ve met and the places I’ve cycled will always be with me. There are so many to thank. First and foremost, I thank God for giving me the vision and seeing me through this journey. I thank my amazing and supportive husband Rodge for being there with me every mile of the way, my dog Bailey for his unconditional love and kisses, Elaine my cycling partner for her friendship and support, and my sons Dan and Kevin. I thank Howard Thiel and ST/Dystonia for supporting me throughout the whole trip. I thank Denise and Kathy for meeting me along the route and I thank my family and friends around the country.
Throughout my travels, I only met three people who had heard of dystonia. There is still more work to be done. We can all be involved in awareness with the gifts we’ve been given. Whether it’s speaking, writing, sports, teaching, entertaining etc. we can all spread the word about Dystonia in our own unique way. One person with a passion for a cause can make a difference in this world.
I am thankful for the opportunity to cycle for dystonia awareness. Every brochure I handed out made a difference. The sign on the van made a difference. The blog made a difference. To all of you with dystonia, be positive and never give up. There is hope!
God Bless,
Kathy
Philippians 1:6
Kathy with Bonnie Hawkins, ST/Dystonia President.