By Ryan Ding, Staff Reporter

For many bike riders, an enjoyable ride means an hour or two in a scenic setting at a steady pace. For Junior Alex Cuevas, however, biking hundreds of miles across New Jersey to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), meant much more than leisure.

Cuevas, a dedicated member of the Conestoga crew team, competed at the end of September in the City to Shore ride organized by the National MS Society. The ride was named one of USA Today’s top ten road cycling events for 2023 and raised almost $3,750,000 toward MS research so far. Cuevas was inspired by his father, who has competed in the City to Shore ride, as well as a similar ride held in Wisconsin since before Cuevas was born.

“Freshman year, I asked if I could go with him because I thought it’d be really fun,” Cuevas said. “This year, I decided to do the century ride, which is 100 miles on the first day and 75 miles on the next day. The energy was really good, it was really fun and I just enjoyed (performing) some physical activity.”

Biking also provides an opportunity for Cuevas and his father to bond. During the race, which lasted two days, the father-son duo rode together for a large part of the course. When Cuevas finally crossed the finish line, he cried tears of joy.

“It felt insanely good. When you’re in the middle, at the darkest part of the ride, it’s depressing,” Cuevas said. “You still have so much to go and your legs are numb. But when you cross that finish line, there (are) people cheering, and it’s such a good feeling.”

Cuevas was also motivated by the ride’s great cause. His great-uncle has Multiple Sclerosis, and Cuevas has seen firsthand the disease’s impact on people’s lives. By participating in the ride, Cuevas was able to help raise money and awareness for the cause.

“I really am proud to be part of this effort, because it helps raise awareness for people with MS and the fight to cure it,” Cuevas said. “I know that the cure might not come in their (his relative’s) lifetime, but I know that they would want the cure for other people with MS because of how big the struggle is. I’m definitely proud to be a part of this cause.”

Ryan Ding can be reached at [email protected].