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Pennsylvania Woman with MS Receives Champions of Courage Group to Participate in MS 150 BIke Rides
WASHINGTON, DC, March 27, 2003 – Pam Spence, a 45-year-old Carlisle, PA resident and avid cyclist who has battled multiple sclerosis (MS) for ten years, will begin the first leg of an 8-city bike tour during Houston’s annual "BP MS 150,” April 12-13. Pam recently received a Betaseron® Champions of Courage grant enabling her to participate in eight MS150 bike rides sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). Most MS 150 rides are two days and at least 150 miles.
The Betaseron® Champions of Courage program recognizes the accomplishments of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and provides grants to help them achieve their goals and inspire others. Since the program was introduced in 1999, more than 30 women and men have received grants to underwrite motivating projects.
Going Public
For the first 10 years that Pam had MS, she kept it hidden from all but her immediate family and closest friends. As an athlete, she did not want anyone to feel sorry for her.
All the while she kept herself in top shape for competitive cycling, which had been her passion since 1983. Her MS symptoms include dizziness, shaky hands and balance problems, which disappear when she rides her bike.
But by 2002, after amazing herself and others who had no idea that she had MS, she began to feel like she wanted to do something productive on her bike – something to inspire others with MS – and to go public with her story. After reading about the MS 150 bike rides, she decided to challenge herself to ride in six MS 150 rides in 2002. At the same time she gave interviews to reporters in her home town of Carlisle, PA. Soon thereafter, feature stories about her courage and desire to bike for MS ran in the Carlisle Sentinel, Harrisburg Patriot-News and the Houston Chronicle.
“I have found that through these rides I have touched a lot of people,” says Pam. “My whole idea for participating in these rides was to raise awareness by showing people that you can have MS and do this!” Pam is very proud of the fact that people are surprised when they learn she has MS. “When I put my bike helmet on, I don’t have a sign on me that says I have MS,” she says.
Her Betaseron® Champions of Courage grant will help to underwrite costs for the eight MS 150 rides she plans to complete in 2003. Her eight rides will take her to six different states and cover more than 1,200 miles. She hopes to raise $8,000 for the National MS Society.
Champions of Courage
Funded by a grant from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Betaseron® Champions of Courage program provides grants to people who are coping successfully with MS and who have a project that will inspire others. “Pam’s commitment to health and fitness is inspiring,” said Eric Simons, motivational speaker with MS and chairman of the Betaseron® Champions of Courage program. “She is determined not to let MS interfere with her desire to achieve her goals.”
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that randomly attacks the central nervous system, affecting the brain and spinal cord, wearing away control over the body. Symptoms may range from numbness to paralysis and blindness. Though no cure yet exists, there are now therapies available that can impact underlying disease course as well as manage symptoms. MS affects more than a third of a million people in the U.S. alone, with someone being newly diagnosed virtually each hour.
For more information about applying for a Betaseron® Champions of Courage grant, visit www.championsofcourage.org, or call 202-363-3378.
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Contact: |
Liz Garman Betaseron® Multiple Sclerosis Champions of CourageSM Telephone: 202/363-3378 E-Mail: info@championsofcourage.org |
