by Arthur Hernandez
Due to an overwhelming response to my general solicitation to create a legal team of bike riders for the upcoming MS 150 on Sept. 21 and 22, I am happy to report that the Wheels of Justice team consists of me, myself and I.
While most of you were eating your fifth hot dog or downing your 19th beer during Labor Day weekend, I began my Olympic-like training for this approximate 164 mile bike ride. I was invited to train with my doctor friend Dr. “Smith” and his well-organized hospital team. Dr. Smith and his teammates all look like movie stars or cover models for the Tour de France. They are all your typical looking strong bike riders, tall, lean with legs that pump like pistons. They have “abs of steel that you could bounce a quarter off of.” My wife has often stated that I look like a TV star... “Homer Simpson” and that “I can hide a roll of quarters in my abs.”
I dusted off my beach cruiser and took off my training wheels. I arrived early Saturday morning to a local bike shop on Hendricks to attempt a 30 mile ride. All of the other bike riders had special bike equipment like aerodynamic helmets, racing goggles and gloves, tight bike jerseys, spandex shorts and funny looking shoes. My doctor friend (yes, I do have some that I don’t have to subpoena or pay a witness fee) took one look at me and politely recommended that I get “some clips”. I told him that I had left my clips on the potato chip bag at home and that I wasn’t particularly hungry. He also suggested that I get rid of the black dress socks. I was told that “Image is everything!!”
We promptly left the bike shop at 7:30 a.m. There were about 75 riders in a rainbow of colors traveling in a blur. I was only able to keep up with them for a few feet, because they decided to “crank it up.” I knew the training course path and continued to ride with myself. I figured these conditions would be similar on Sept. 21 and 22 so I’d better get used to it.
About an hour later and five miles into my ride I saw all of the riders heading north. I figured I didn’t have to ride all the way to the half-way point just to rest and turn around. I was much smarter than that and turned around then.
As I turned I immediately realized that I didn’t have the previous luxury, as now I was riding into a slight head wind which decreased my speed. I almost caught up to the old lady with the walker by San Jose Country Club. My voice was beginning to change and I sounded like Michael Jackson. By the time I made it back to the bike shop, I called Dr. Antonio who was on the back nine of some golf course at the beach. He encouraged me to continue to train as “We were riding for those who can’t.”
“Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable and often disabling disease that attacks the nervous system. Symptoms may be as mild as numbness of the limbs or as severe as paralysis or loss of vision. Most people diagnosed with MS, are between the ages of 20 to 50, but the unpredictable physical and emotional side effects can be lifelong. The progression, severity and specific symptoms of MS can not be predicted.
A person with MS does not know when it will strike, what symptoms they will have, when it will become worse or better, or if they will be permanently disabled.”
Any slight discomfort that I felt or will feel from these rides pales in comparison to this disease. I again call upon members of the legal community to ride for this team or any other team of your choice in support of this cause. If you can not ride, you should volunteer and support those riders that are. If you can not ride or volunteer, please make a financial contribution to the National MS Society on behalf of our team or the Jacksonville Bar Association.
I’d like to extend special thanks to the following law firms who sponsored me in this event:
Coker, Myers, Schickel, Sorenson, Higginbotham & Green. Law Offices of Eddie Farah; Cole, Stone, Stoudemire, Morgan & Dore; Bullock, Childs, Pendley & Reed; Bedell, Dittmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe; O’Hara, Spradley, Waters
If you have any questions or need more information, please call me at 358-1182 or send me an e-mail at [email protected].