Junior Noah Daughtry participated in a bike ride for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society on April 27 and 28. This was his second year participating in the event.
“I rode with my best friend and his dad,” Daughtry said. “They have an aunt who has multiple sclerosis, and when the opportunity came around, I wanted to ride for her.”
The ride ranges from 140 to 170 miles, depending on which route the riders take. Daughtry and his team chose the longer route. They rode from Houston to Austin.
“I’m so proud of their commitment and effort to this cause,” mother Becky Daughtry said.
Noah doesn’t ride bikes recreationally and mainly rides for the event. He went on multiple rides earlier to train for the official trip in April.
“I started riding last year mostly for training,” Daughtry said. “When the ride is over, we go on a few more just for fun.”
The ride is split into different teams that can be created by anyone. They range from family and friends to corporations and national teams from around the country.
“It makes me proud,” Becky Daughtry said. “I like the fact that he is giving a lot of time and effort for a cause greater than himself.”
Daughtry participates in track and basketball as well as riding his bikes on weekends to train for the Ride for MS. He has gone on rides from Jacksonville to Palestine to Canton. These training rides are anywhere from 20 to 50 miles.
“It takes a lot of work and sacrifice to train and compete in a race that totals 170 miles,” Becky Daughtry said. “Most 16-year-olds would rather be hanging out with friends or doing something that would involve personal gain as opposed to training for a race where the only gain is personal satisfaction.”
This years ride ended with the leader of the group, David Rice, having to stop due to a back injury. They would have kept riding, but the race doesn’t allow teams without a member over 18 years of age.
“They may not have crossed the finish line in Austin,” Becky Daughtry said. “But they will always be champions to me and all those suffering with MS.”
