50th Birthday Celebration Ride

by Catherine L. Stewart

My sister Cynthia (on the left) and I did the DALMAC this year for the first time in celebration of my 50th birthday (which was on August 1). I had not been on a bike in over 25 years. Can't tell you how long it had been for her. We trained by riding our bikes an average of 75 miles per week starting the middle of June and finished up by riding the DALMAC from August 30 through September 5, a distance of approximately 350 miles.

Were we fast - NO! Were we exhausted every day - YES! Did we have the best time of our lives - ABSOLUTELY!

Everybody told me we couldn't do this. Well, not only did we do it but, we did it well! I am so proud of our accomplishment, words cannot adequately describe how I feel.

My sister Cynthia is an insulin dependent diabetic on a pump and she had many special challenges because of that; but she persevered through all of it to accomplish this goal that we had set for ourselves.

I'm very proud of (this picture). It shows us with our special bracelets which were passed out by the Mackinac Bridge Authority. These bracelets identified us as DALMACers who were crossing the bridge from Mackinac City to St. Ignace with a group of 398 other cyclists, one of three groups of 400 each who crossed that day, September 5, 1999. This pictures says WE MADE IT!!! AND WE'RE DAMN PROUD OF IT!!!

This was a once in a lifetime experience for me. I proved to myself that I could do it; and that, if I put my mind (and body) to it, I can do anything.

The DALMAC will now be an annual tradition for us.

Catherine L. Stewart
Lansing, MI