Ronnie McTiernan: Vicious Cycler

After a while, even the molehills seemed like mountains to Veronica "Ronnie" McTiernan.

An avid cyclist, Ronnie thought a right knee injury was giving her problems, particularly when peddling uphill. The heart was willing, but the body was weak. An operation did not seem to solve the problem. Eventually, the real culprit was exposed: Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS is a lifelong and sometimes disabling disease of the central nervous system that affects nearly a third of a million Americans. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20-50, often when they are beginning careers and families.

Symptoms are highly individual and vary in severity and duration. They may include abnormal fatigue, impaired vision, loss of balance and muscle coordination, slurred speech, tremors, stiffness and, in the most severe cases, partial or complete paralysis.

Treatments include medication, occupational therapy and physical therapy, which helps strengthen weakened or uncoordinated muscles and improve balance. It was a suggestion by Ronnie's physical therapist, Herb Karpatkin, that got her geared up for the 2005 MS Bike Tour, a 30-mile ride around the perimeter of Manhattan. Ronnie began training on a stationary bicycle and on bike trails near her home in Tarrytown because she is no longer able to ride along busy roads.

She took the suggestion and rode with it. Ronnie organized a team, "The Vicious Cyclers," including her physical therapist and raised $5,000 for the New York City chapter of the National MS Society. They have the same goal this year. Last year, she rode at approximately 14 mph, and finished in about 4 hours, including the break at the tip of upper Manhattan where riders stop to rest, have refreshments and enjoy music from Q104.3 FM, the MS Bike Tour's radio sponsor.

Ronnie says that riding in the 30-mile Bike Tour a second year in a row is the equivalent of a healthy person bumping up to the 60-mile ride.

"The riding is the easy part. The hard parts are getting on the bike and establishing balance and also getting off when it's over," said the second generation Irish American, who loves riding because it makes her forget about the disease. "I get motivated by listening to "Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen because at the end Freddy Mercury says, 'Get on your bikes and ride!'"

Ronnie's paternal grandparents were from Galway and Leitrim. Her mother's maiden name was McNamee. A number of years ago, before being diagnosed with MS, she toured Ireland by bicycle. She started in Dublin, rode through the Wicklow Hills, sections of Wexford, and the mountains near Dingle. Ronnie is a fan of traditional ballad groups, such as the Wolfe Tones, and listens to Ceol na nGael on Fordham's station WFUV 90.7 FM.

When not training, Ronnie is a behavioral therapist who works with adults with developmental disabilities. She also co-founded a non-profit that counsels parents of children with developmental issues, predominantly autism. Fittingly, her email address is "No Tantrums" (notantrums@optonline.net).

The determined 55-year-old hates the fact that she has MS, but says she is "doing okay." She exercises every day, meets with her physical therapist every six weeks and her neurologist every three months. Every week, she takes a shot of Avonex, a medicine designed to reduce the risk of disability progression, and has IV treatments, as well.

Some famous faces lead the fight against MS, including actors Teri Garr, Bill Pullman, and William Fichtner, star of ABC's Invasion; country music star Clay Walker, who was diagnosed with MS in 1996; Neil Cavuto, host of cable's No. 1 business news show; MS Society spokesperson David "Squiggy" Lander of "Lavern & Shirley" fame; Rain Pryor, writer/actress and daughter of Richard Pryor; former Mouseketeer and Baby Boomer icon Annette Funicello; and Zoe Koplowitz, "The World's Slowest Marathon Runner." WABC-TV weatherman Sam Champion has been involved locally for several years.

The New York City chapter of the MS Society has set a goal of raising $2 million to boost funding for pediatric MS care centers and research grants. You can help Ronnie McTiernan in her efforts by sponsoring her online.