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MS connection: Summer 2012
bike ms
brendie’s b-bops get hooked on bike ms
The Boyce family had been living with MS for nearly 20 years before they decided to participate in Bike MS. “Out of the blue, my oldest daughter said to me ‘we should do Bike MS,’” said Stephanie Boyce, whose husband Brendan was diagnosed with MS when he was 33. “I told her you’re nuts, we can’t ride 150 miles.” After looking more into Bike MS, they learned of the 40-mile route options and that there truly was something for everyone, so they registered and Team Brendie’s B-Bops was formed. “For all the years that Brendan has had MS we haven’t done much except for donating,” Stephanie said. “We weren’t really prepared, we just thought about riding in the summer and we did it.” After doing that first ride in 2009, Stephanie was hooked and wanted to do more. “It was the most uplifting thing I had ever done,” Stephanie said. “Everything is so well staffed and the most wonderful people you would ever want to meet are down there riding and volunteering. I decided then the next year I was going to try to make the team bigger
Stephanie boyce and her daughters don’t just ride, they bike ms for brendan.
and ride the entire 150 miles, so I trained really hard.” Stephanie and Brendie’s B-Bops continue to ride for her husband Brendan and his sister who has been living with MS since she was 18. Brendan’s MS began as relapsing remitting but has evolved into progressive MS making the last five years very challenging.
“bike ms was the most uplifting thing I had ever done.” “I can’t get him in and out of bed without a lift,” Stephanie said. “He was good for a lot of years but it’s been tough. But he’s an awfully kind man. He was once a hot-head and now he is a good sport about everything and never complains.” Brendie’s B-Bops is truly a friends and family team including Stephanie’s daughters, some of