2007 Most Inspirational Rider

From the Pacific South Coast Chapter's Web Site:

The Land Rover Miramar Bike MS Tour provides the opportunity for any cyclist to ride along the coast with cyclists ranging from beginner to expert, individual to team, and celebrity to family.

For the past few years, a tandem bicycle has made its way up the Torrey Pines Hill pedaled by team "Lloyd's Lagers" fearless leader, Lloyd von Sprecken, and his son, Todd. Lloyd has been inspiring riders with and without multiple sclerosis (MS) for many years. In honor of his commitment to a world free of MS, we created The Lloyd von Sprecken "Most Inspirational Rider Award."

The 2007 Lloyd von Sprecken Most Inspirational Rider Award was presented to Darren Martin. It all started when his short-term memory began to fail. His wife would ask him to go out and get some milk and he would get to the store a quarter-mile away and would have to call her and ask what he was doing there. Darren was diagnosed with MS in 1999.

Before he started getting any exercise, in 2005, he was basically in a chair all day because he was unable to work any longer. According to Darren he used to be in a depressed, miserable mood. Cycling changed his outlook. Darren has this disease, but it's not going to hold him back. He started going to the gym just to get some resistance going and he realized he can sit really well. Darren can sit on a bike and he can pedal, yet he can't stand for any length of time. Darren can't run, he can't jog, but he can ride a bike all day long.