Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/79907
Throughout Seattle, WAC members give their time, energy and experience to causes that matter to them—often working hand-in-hand with friends from the Club. on that first year. On one of their initial training rides, they made it about a fifth of the way around Mercer Island when reality set in. "We were like, 'Oh my gosh, this is going to be hard.'" Joe says he barely made it that day. His belief in the cause helped carry him through. "It's personal to our family," he says. Doctors diagnosed Joe's brother, Perry, with MS in his early 30s. He died at age 50. "He had a pretty aggressive form of the disease," Joe says. "He had two young boys. They were raised by a dad who couldn't go out in the front yard and throw a ball." recalls Lisa, Joe's wife, looking back "We had these old bikes," pretty much in trouble," Lisa says with a smile. "He's the king of bike spam." IT'S PERSONAL Those types of stories tug heartstrings. They also motivate others. Throughout Seattle, WAC members give their time, energy and experience to causes that matter to them—often working hand-in-hand with friends from the Club. "The joke is if Joe finds out you ride a bike and gets your email address, you're The Pipers completed their first Bike MS Ride in 2004 and have returned every year since, raising money for the treatment and prevention of the disease with each mile. They also have greatly improved their personal conditioning—relying on winter spin classes at the WAC and summer training rides. Along the way, they have built a committed team of riders, and they merged Piper's Peddlers (their initial team name) with a team from Point B Capital (where Joe became a managing director in 2010). Point B is also the title sponsor of the Bike MS Ride in Washington. This year, about 125 riders have signed in MS brought Toby and Robin to the team five years ago. Their connection to the cause deepened through a friend with MS. Many Peddlers know someone with the disease, and some are even fighting it themselves. "There are many charitable causes up to wear the blue Point B Peddlers team suit and have helped raise $150,000. Their ranks include other WAC members, such as husband and wife Toby Taylor and Robin Abrahams. As past board members of the WAC Tri/Cycle Club, Toby and Robin have actively recruited new Peddlers. A neurologist friend who specializes to support, but the [Bike MS Ride] has captured our efforts," Robin says. This year's ride, through some of the prettiest country in Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties, takes place September 8–9. Cathy Jeney, another WAC member drawn into the Bike MS slipstream, heard about it in spin class. "But I was too intimidated," she says. "I thought I wasn't good enough to ride with them." Ultimately, she found support where she expected competition. Cathy struggled through a windy section. She told friends to go ahead and that she would catch up. But they stayed close. "They kept me in the middle of their pack," she recalls. "There's something more than riding when you're riding for a cause." On the first day of the 2011 ride, Top: Joe Piper. Bottom: Members Lisa Piper and Janet Morton train with other Point B Peddlers. 22 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2012