Senior still riding to fight MS
Larry Peyton will turn 84 years old within days, but that’s not slowing him down anytime soon.
The Port Colborne resident has been participating in the MS Bike fundraising ride for the past 15 years, a cycling tour that, locally, runs through Fort Erie.
Raising more than $50,000 for the cause since his first run, it became Peyton’s passion shortly after his son, Jeff, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 42.
The condition has impacted his son’s life in many ways, but Larry said he remains able to enjoy his life and family.
“With daily medication, he’s still working, still playing golf,” said Peyton while promoting the Aug. 19 ride at the Port Colborne Farmers Market recently.
The senior citizen looks forward to the ride every year because he enjoys the exercise, but also because he wants to raise awareness and stay active with an effort that’s close to him.
“This keeps me moving and it keeps me involved,” he said.
Peyton has set up at the market every week for several years while raising funds for the ride. He said he’s always astounded by how many times he’s approached by individuals who also have MS or someone in their family coping with it.
“It’s amazing, the people who tell me they were diagnosed with MS. You wouldn’t know they had it.” he said.
According to the MS Society of Canada website, MS is classified as an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, the brain and spinal cord.
It’s considered unpredictable and can cause symptoms such as extreme fatigue, lack of co-ordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes. Canada has the highest rate of MS in the world, with and estimated one in 340 Canadians living with the disease.
Peyton will participate in a 40-kilometre ride.
For more information, visit www.msbike.ca.