Hamilton resident to Bike the US for MS
By Jessica Oates
Hamilton resident Gina Raimondo rides for Melvin.
Her friend has motivated Raimondo throughout her cycling career, and this summer won’t be an exception.
She’ll certainly need Melvin as she cycles a 3,785-mile route that goes through nine states, including up through the Rockies in Colorado and across mountainous regions in Utah, Nevada and California. Raimondo will begin her two-month journey—part of the Bike the US for MS tour that will take her from Yorktown, Va. to San Francisco—in June.
Raimondo first began cycling at the insistence of Melvin, a friend she met at the Health Fitness Corporation Gym at the Ford Assembly Plant in Edison, where she worked at the time.
“Melvin was a member at the fitness center, and he convinced me to do that Anchor House Ride that year for the first time,” Raimondo said. “He told me to put my extra change in a coffee can to save up for a nice bike, and we started cycling together every Saturday in March of 2000. He helped train me, but more importantly, he became my mentor. I had to raise money for the race, and he helped guide me through that, too.”
Melvin took action shots of her during rides, had them developed, blown up and plastered around the fitness center where she worked. On pay day, he set up a table with a Tupperware container and announced to everyone she was training and trying to raise money for the Ride for Runaways, an annual, weeklong 500-mile cycling event to support abused and runaway children in the Trenton area.
By 5 p.m., just as Raimondo was getting out of work, Melvin handed her $100 from his own pocket to add to the $1,400 they had raised, and said to her, “Do the ride.”
“That was a Friday night, so I told him I would see him the next morning for our regular ride, but I never did,” Raimondo said.
That night, Melvin had fallen asleep behind the wheel of his car, crashed into a pole and died.
“After that, I told myself I would ride for him,” Raimondo said. “It was the year 2000; I rode 2,000 miles for Melvin that year, and I haven’t stopped since.”
She definitely has plenty of experience on a bicycle. For 13 consecutive years, Raimondo biked the Anchor House Ride. But Raimondo, who turns 40 this month, wanted something different to mark the milestone year.
“Bike the US for MS will be different than anything I have ever done before,” said Raimondo. “For one thing, it’s a much longer ride. I have some anxiety about that, but to prevent myself from getting overwhelmed, it’s important that I think about the mileage by day, and not the grand total. I’m also looking forward to visiting friends in Virginia and Missouri along the way. For years now, I have wanted to cycle across the country. I felt 2014 would be my year to do it, since I’m turning 40, and what better way to celebrate a milestone year? I began searching for organizations, and since I had done the MS 150 City to Shore Ride, I was very familiar with MS organizations.”
Raimondo, a nurse, said multiple sclerosis has not impacted her life personally, but she has seen the effects of the debilitating illness in her profession, and is glad for the opportunity to cycle for—and personally help—those whose lives are affected by MS. The cyclists’ daily mileage will range between 60 and 90 miles, depending on the terrain, but they’ll be focusing on much more than pedaling. Six days of the two-month tour will be spent helping multiple sclerosis patients with household projects, like painting and gardening.
“I am familiar and have worked with MS patients, so I’m very compassionate and attuned to their needs,” she said.
For the past nine years, Raimondo has worked as a nurse for various agencies, working on a per diem basis, which gives her the flexibility to commit two months to the tour.
In preparation for the upcoming tour, Raimondo has been cycling indoors at her gym while she waits for the snow to melt and spring weather to make outdoor cycling feasible. The cycling advisors for the trip suggest cycling no more than 500 miles in preparation for the trip, in order to avoid burning out in the middle of the lengthy ride.
“The weather hasn’t been cooperating lately, so with all the snow storms, I have been doing my weight lifting and cardio workouts at the gym,” she said. “When the weather improves, I will definitely do some cycling in Hopewell, where there are some pretty massive hills that will help prepare me for the terrain.”
Sandy Merritt, who lives in Virginia, is one friend Raimondo hopes to see along the way. The two met 13 years ago during Raimondo’s first Anchor House Race, and even roomed together during one of the rides. Merritt recalls that Raimondo was always friendly and positive during the trip.
“She will be riding only 20 minutes away from my home, and I’m looking forward to cheering her on,” Merritt said. “This is a huge undertaking, but I have every confidence that Gina will meet the challenge—and that she will bring her smile along for the ride.”
Merritt said she’s always been impressed by Raimondo, who socializes with everyone during tours.
“She has been riding for several years now and knows lots of the other riders, but she is friendly with everyone and rides with different people,” Merritt said. “Some people stick to their cliques, but not Gina.”
Another friend and fellow cyclist, Barbara Tenney, also met Raimondo at an Anchor House Race many years ago.
“Gina is very determined,” Tenney said. “She is strong, she exercises, and she is always ready for an adventure. She has a sort of bucket list of things she wants to accomplish, and I know this has been on her list for a while now. ”
Tenney said that she is glad Raimondo will be biking the US for MS, both because she admires that Raimondo is challenging herself, and also because MS has affected her personally.
“Both my aunt and a friend of mine have MS, so this is a cause that is near and dear to my heart,” she said. “I have no doubt that Gina will succeed. She will raise the money, and she will go the miles.”
Raimondo currently has $500 in donations, a fraction of the $5,000 she needs to earn. She has been spreading the word via social media and personal letters to friends and family, but needs help. To support her efforts, visit biketheusforms.org, click on the “Donate” tab and, once on the donation page, select “Gina Raimondo” in the rider box on the left side of the page. Donations support multiple sclerosis research and awareness.
As she prepares her trip, Raimondo remembers words of inspiration Melvin shared with her in times of training.
“When the hills are too steep and the miles are too long, think of all the people who supported you along the way, and that will give you the strength to carry on,” she said.
For more information, go to biketheusforms.org.
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