Ride for Life

By Elizabeth Hashagen

There are certain stories that change you forever.

For me-- it's been the "Ride for Life."

The Ride is a journey against time--150 miles- every inch of this ride though Long Island is in a wheelchair.

The man on the mission is Chris Pendergast.

Pendergast suffers from A-L-S ... better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

This inspirational former Long Island teacher is on his 11th annual "Ride for Life"- to raise awareness about the disease that is slowly killing him and get money to fund the fight for a cure.

I remember the first year I headed to Montauk Point to cover the ride.

I had seen the stories-- had heard the profound words of Chris Pendergast and wondered if I could do justice to his story.

Now on my 5th ride I know that no matter how hard I try-- or how long I work-- it can never be enough to get Chris' true message out there.

You see -- we only get so much time to tell a story-- I've even done 2 half hour specials and I still feel like I'm leaving so much out.

To be with Chris for days on the road-- is like getting a life lesson. His thoughts on life- on living- on dying- on believing- on pushing yourself- on not taking "no" for an answer- and the importance of family-- are poetic. He speaks from his soul with such honesty and such insight.

I never knew Chris before he had ALS-- but I can only imagine what an amazing teacher he was.

He has taught me so much!

I feel like I'm his student on the street-

As we follow his every move along the ride.

But this year-- there was a big change.

In years past I would interview Chris from the trunk of our truck as we rolled along with his wheel chair.

He would say things like "Life goes on and it's up to each and everyone of us to decide the direction that life is gonna take and for me that direction is forward"

or we would talk about a cure for ALS and he would say "I'm going to ride until we find a cure or I'll ride until I die"

But this year I couldn't interview Chris from the back of the truck--

The strength of his voice can no longer carry.

To hear his words of wisdom now-- you have to listen very carefully-- and quietly. You have to wait through pauses because his breathing is labored. And there are some people now-- that have trouble understanding what he's saying. But his message is as strong as ever. The depth of his emotion-- his profound understanding of life-- that he can articulate- like no one else I've met. He has such wisdom. So it's frustrating that now the world can't hear it as loudly and clearly as before.

I remember a few years ago I asked Chris what his legacy would be-- I foolishly thought that he would tell me the center at Stony Brook that the ride has helped fund-- or the day a cure is found through his long days and nights of fighting and fundraising.

But no-- he said he wants his legacy to be that he was a good father and husband.( he's now a grandpa too)

And this year he got to see that legacy in action.

Since her father's voice wasn't strong enough his daughter Melissa became the voice of the ride for life.

And what she had to say brought me right back to my time with her dad on the road ( Melissa and I have become friends through the years of coverage)

As I asked her questions about having to fight this ALS battle for half her life--

" Growing up on the ride- teaches you an amazing lesson- it teaches you-to be a good person - it shows you that in a world that sometimes can let you down you find hope with people that you meet and decisions that you make

You feel hopeful- you feel support - you feel love"

I said Melissa you know people out there would say life isn't fair and why is this happening to me- to us- I want a " normal" life.

and she said " life is good- what kind of place would thinking like that take you to"

And when I asked Melissa about her father's legacy-- "Even though ALS is an enormous part of his life and its been a lot of what he's done... His legacy is going to be me and my brother and my son - I think the goodness that he has given to us and instilled in us will continue and that for me will be his greatest legacy."

That is his greatest legacy...

Every year, every day that we head out on the road we find a new reason to be inspired- and I have renewed hope that a cure can one day be found. I know the day I hear the news my thoughts will drift back to the long days on the ride to life-- the road to the cure.