Alumni Tailwinds – January 2024 by Neil McCallum and Kelly Wolf
Welcome to the first 2024 edition of “Alumni Tailwinds,” where we catch up with our Bike the US for MS alumni to see the amazing journeys life has taken them on since their adventures with us. Their stories continue to inspire us and showcase the lasting impact of our cycling family.
Natalie Love – TransAmerica 2014
I was living in Virginia, the start of the TransAm route, prior to the ride and ended up calling San Francisco home, where we finished our cycle across America. It’s fun to think that in a way, I moved out to SF via bike. Claire, one of our incredible Route Leaders, GoPro’ed most of our adventures and it was always a highlight on the trip when all the riders would sit around a laptop or small TV to watch the short videos she put together.
I ended up applying for a job at GoPro and submitted some of the videos with my resume and luck behold, ended up getting a job there. Since then, I’ve biked across 5 more countries; Spain, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania and a few more states.
I now live in Salt Lake City where biking remains my number one passion. I spend my time volunteering to fix up bikes, participating in city councils/open houses on how we can make bike lane better, riding with my dog, Dash, and I have a few social groups where I invite any and all riders to come bike around and grab a beer after. Huge thanks to BTUSFMS for kickstarting this life long passion and I’ll keep doing my best pay it forward!
James Whateley – Global Executive Director and longtime Bike the US for MS alumni
2023 was certainly a big year of change for me and it seems 2024 is going to be much the same! Having taken on the new Executive Director role in April with Bike the US for MS, balancing my time between that and managing Bike the UK for MS with the help of my colleagues Duncan, Felix and Tommy, has been an exciting challenge.
We’re starting to make some big adjustments to our annual calendar of events and seeing alumni excited to return on shorter rides as well as new participants from across the US has been fantastic. I can’t wait to see many more of you in the year to come!
On a personal level, last year saw Abbie and I get married in the UK back in September before a much overdue holiday and honeymoon to Australia and New Zealand (thanks Duncan for holding down the fort while I was away!).
2024 is already bringing new excitement as Abbie and I found out, while in Australia, that we are in fact expecting twins in the Spring! Any parenting advice from you all is much welcome, add it in the comments below, as I haven’t got a clue. It seems a whole new world of adjustment and balance is going to be needed for me this year, but I’m excited for our new challenge whilst taking Bike the US for MS from strength to strength.
Fred Zelt – Too many rides to mention – Founder of the Social Distance Cycling Club
Some Bike the US for MS alumni may recall Thomas Stevens as a mysterious ride donor. Stevens is better known for being the first to cycle across the USA and world, in 1884-86 on a high wheel bicycle (aka penny-farthing). Stevens’ subsequent book “Around the World on a Bicycle” and David Herlihy’s excellent 2010 book “The Lost Cyclist” about 1880’s-1890’s Pittsburgh cyclist Frank Lenz inspired BTUSFMS alum Fred Zelt to acquire and learn to ride a used reproduction 48” high wheel bicycle.
Fred reports that the first 2-3 cycling sessions were terrifying and he doesn’t recommend trying a high wheel bike. Donna observed those sessions nervously, with a first aid kit in one hand and phone ready to dial 911 in the other. Starting, pedaling, balancing, steering, stopping and properly dismounting a high wheel bike are totally different than on modern bikes.
But in the spirit of past adventuresome cyclists Fred now plans to pedal the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage rail trail on the high wheel bike in June, with leisurely 10-30 mile days. This will include a group ride to commemorate the June 15 anniversary of the first known bike trip down a beautiful, 17-mile segment of Youghiogheny River Gorge, which was first cycled by Lenz and a colleague on high-wheel bicycles in 1890.
Fred hopes to survive the June rides and demonstrate high wheel bike riding for BTUSFMS cyclists in Pittsburgh before the September BTUSFMS GAP and C&O ride.
Lina Garada – Bike the US for MS alumni and Board Member
The past two years or so have been focusing on advocacy with the big event being Hood to Coast, a 198 mile running relay in Oregon. It was a blast being a part of a team that were all adaptive athletes. I had the pleasure of repping those with invisible diseases and MS.
In 2023 we upped the bar with sponsorship from ON Running and pivoting the legislation from So Kids Can Move to So Everybody Can Move. With the 2028 Olympics in LA this year, the goal is to get 28 states by 2028 to pass legislation to ensure insurance has to cover prosthetics for mobility.
For the MS community this would ensure those who AFO’s or any other device would be covered. Links to read about the race and legislation : 2022 race, 2023 race
On an everyday level, recovering from an overuse injury and happy to be back running! This past weekend I had the joy of supporting Team Catapult and running my first 5k in years. It was great being reuniting with friends from Hood to Coast and meeting new friends as well in the adaptive community!
Running is always a moving target with MS for me, so while hitting my time goal was a nice plus, my biggest takeaway and accomplishment was reigniting my joy in running. Stoked to run more miles!
Ed Osuna – Bike the US for MS alumni
No bicycle updates but Ed did climb Kilimanjaro this year. A fantastic achievement.
Laurie Martinelli – Northern Tier 2017
What a fabulous adventure that was. I’ve lived and worked in Boston for 35 years, but now I’ve retired. I’m selling my house and moving to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts where I grew up. I’m very excited about this new life chapter. The Berkshires is a pristine area w excellent biking, hiking, skiing and culture.
I feel very fortunate. Bring on 2024! 🚴♂️
Stuart Shapiro – Bike the US for MS alumni
After 20 years of bike riding to raise money and awareness to End MS I was sidelined by a fractured pelvis while getting ready for a 2017 MS event. I switched to walking events for MS ever since. My family and I have seen so much progress over the years in the treatment of MS for our daughter and others. All due to the efforts of all who have participated in these events. I will never forget Bike the US for MS.
Jeff Smith – TransAm 2022
Retired, sold my practice and moved from Calif. to the East Coast. Splitting time between Virginia and winters in Florida. Riding with a good group in Florida several times a week and volunteering/riding with my sweetie Peggy on multiple rides in NY, Virginia and Florida. Visiting good friends I’ve met like Neil along the way! Also taking tennis lessons and playing Pickleball.
Shannon Catalano – Pacific Coast 2017
Since becoming a Bike the US for MS alumni, in 2019, I started the non-profit Lone Star Wheelers in Plano Texas. I wanted to be able to give people the opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of riding a bike even when they aren’t able to pedal themselves. I was inspired by my grandmother and although I wasn’t able to give her a ride, I have been able to give many other people the opportunity to take a ride on a bicycle. Here are some of the highlights and accomplishments we achieved in 2023.
Rides at DaySpring Senior Living Plano and special events
- 141 individual rides
- 25 unique riders
- 66 hours of ride time
- 28 minute rides on average
Staff-led rides at W.T. White High School
The adapted bicycle is used daily during the school year by the special education department. The staff pedals students around the large campus.
Borrow-a-bicycle
Our loaner bicycle was with a local family of four that loves to bike together. Our loaner bicycle allowed this young family to bicycle together again. The bike was then loaned to Hightower Elementary School after we pedaled eight students during their Bike Rodeo. They loved it so much, the school counselor decided that she wanted the students to experience joyrides on a regular basis.
Trailer & Awards
We purchased an enclosed trailer with a ramp and had our logo added to the sides and back. It serves as transportation, storage, and advertising for the program. We were awarded the 2023 Best Non-Motorized Unit in Plano’s All American 4th of July Parade.
Media Coverage
We were on Good Morning Texas on February 27, 2023. We had a two-page feature in the April 3, 2023 edition of Woman’s World Magazine, America’s #1 best-selling weekly women’s magazine.
Start-up assistance
We provide complimentary assistance to anyone wanting to start an adapted bicycle program in their community. We maintain a detailed document of the steps to starting a program and offer consultation as needed.
Natalya Naneen- TransAm 2019, Southern Tier 2022
I was sworn into my new physician assistant position in gynecology at the VA while Route Leading the Southern Tier October 2022, at 6am in the trailer while looking for spandex, and have been learning a new field of medicine since. It’s really rewarding to be in this position where I get to take care of exclusively women and trans veterans.
My now husband Eric and I had been dating for 2 years and had wedding rings for 16 months. We knew we wanted a little wedding and planned a little ceremony with our immediate family in a week. We’ve been married for a month now. He and I just closed on a house!
Kaylyn Procter (Messenger) and Nick Procter – both BTUSFMS alumni
In 2015 I signed up for a trip with Bike the US for MS. It was my way of grieving, processing, and doing what I could to make meaning out of a loss of my Aunt Jamie. 8 years later, I rode 361 miles around the Olympic Peninsula with some of the people I love most in the world. It was great to reconnect with so many familiar faces and be back on the road with our BTUSFMS alumni family.
Speaking of family, October 14, I was lucky enough to marry my best friend Nick and join the Procter family. We had a gorgeous ceremony with family and friends before we started our honeymoon adventure out West. In just over a week we visited 8 National Parks, hiked many miles, took plane rides, went rappelling & have lots of wonderful memories. We look forward to all the new adventures 2024 will bring.
Neil McCallum – NoTier 2015, Pacific Coast 2017, Atlantic Coast 2019, TransAmerica 2022
Beyond my efforts as BTUSFMS Alumni Coordinator, other volunteer activities include Chairperson for Wheels For Winners, a local not for profit that renovates donated bikes and provides them to people doing community service, AARP Driver Safety Instructor, Sec/Trea of Clan MacCallum Malcolm Society of North America and several other. In 2022, I received the Andres Award from AARP for Outstanding Community Service!
