By Allyce Morino
“What keeps me focused? The next rest stop!” laughed Sharon Roggenbuck, veteran rider of the Bike MS: Historic New Bern ride. This year will mark Roggenbuck’s 28th year riding in the event, and at 77-years-old, she is showing no sign of quitting.
On September 10 and 11, Roggenbuck and more than 2,000 riders will gather at Union Point Park in historic downtown New Bern. The two-day event is one of North Carolina’s largest recreational rides, featuring routes of 30 miles, 50 miles, 75 miles, and 100 miles each day.
Roggenbuck came across the Bike MS: Historic New Bern ride on a whim. “Someone told me there was a bike event coming up that weekend so I came out. I didn’t know that the ride was for MS. I came out again the next year, and the next, and the next.” She often rides alongside individuals who are living with MS and participates in fundraising towards the goal of a world free of MS.
Roggenbuck and her fellow cyclists have worked tirelessly to raise money for the ride. She has raised between $8,000 and $10,000 each year since 2004 and hopes to be able to do it again this year. “Almost all of the money I have raised comes from individuals, friends, relatives, church family and neighbors,” said Roggenbuck. Bike MS fundraising like Roggenbuck’s benefits the mission of the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the National MS Society with the funds necessary to support local services for people living with multiple sclerosis. Money raised will also fund research on a national level that will discover better treatments and a cure for MS.
She has recently taken on the role of a Ride Marshal as well. As a marshal, she serves as a goodwill ambassador for the National MS Society through socializing with riders and welcoming new participants. “Whenever I see someone who is a first time rider, I always ask them why they are riding and if they are enjoying it. If I see someone in distress, I stop and make sure we have someone coming to help them.”
Roggenbuck does not do any specific training in preparation for Bike MS. “I am a triathlete; I run, bike, and swim all year round. I also try to get in one ride a week, usually on Wednesdays, of about 35 to 40 miles.” She recommends that first time participants of Bike MS ride as often as they can in order to prepare for the ride. “You don’t have to be fast, just get in as much time on the bike and you will get the most comfortable.”
While her past experience with triathlons have given her an advantage in finishing these long rides, not all of her events have been easy for her. A positive mentality throughout a long ride is much easier said than done. “One time I was riding in the cold, pouring rain, and all I wanted to do was quit,” said Roggenbuck. “I was feeling sorry for myself, but I remembered about the riders and family members of those living with MS. It’s so inspiring to be able to know I can fight for those who can’t, so I’m not going to let riding in the rain get in the way of that.”
Join Sharon Roggenbuck at Bike MS: Historic New Bern this September. The National MS Society, Greater Carolinas Chapter also hosts Bike MS: Tour to Tanglewood in Clemmons, NC on September 17 and 18 and Bike MS: Breakaway to the Beach at the Sea Trail Resort in Sunset Beach, NC on October 8 and 9. Register today at www.bikemscarolinas.org.
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Marketing professional Allyce Morino is a recent Raleigh transplant, where she had previously volunteered for the National MS Society in California for four years. Allyce is looking forward to exploring all that North Carolina has to offer.
Bike MS
The National MS Society’s Bike MS program has operated successfully since 1980, providing more than $1 billion (through 2014) to fund research, education, advocacy and programs that support people affected by MS. Through the combined talents and efforts of many, we are the premier fundraising cycling series in the nation.
Bike MS is a series of 100 extraordinary cycling events across the county—rides that take cyclists further than they’ve ever gone before. It’s not the miles that matter—it’s the unforgettable journey. Bike MS is more than a ride—it’s anticipation, camaraderie, personal accomplishment, and the knowledge that you’re changing lives… making every mile that much sweeter. As a great personal challenge and achievement that any rider can experience, Bike MS is both a weekend-long and lifelong opportunity to make a difference.
In 2015 alone, almost 91,000 individuals and 6,027 teams participated in Bike MS events across the country, raising a combined total of over $80 million to fund critical research and help people address the challenges of MS.
Allyce Morino is a recent Raleigh transplant, having previously lived in California for the 25 years. She has volunteered for the National MS Society for four years. Allyce is looking forward to East Coast livin’ and exploring all that North Carolina has to offer.
