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Joyce Quinlan will ride in the SpinOdyssey for the fifth time Sunday. She hasnt participated in one yet without tears. She doesnt expect anything different this time.
The first year I did SpinOdyssey (2007) I was a babbling, crying mess, says Joyce, 51, a longtime Norwalk resident who works as a nurse in the intensive care unit at Norwalk Hospital. Its gotten easier over the years, but I still end up crying at some point.
SpinOdyssey is a fitness fundraising event that raises money for the American Cancer Society's breast cancer research. Among its beneficiaries is the Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital. The all-volunteer event will be held Sunday at Intensity in Norwalk beginning at 9 a.m.
The event strikes a chord with Quinlan, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. She took up spinning, in which riders pedal a resistant exercise bike designed to replicate the experience of road cycling, about two weeks after her mastectomy. She was riding in the SpinOdyssey the next year.
My friends and family said Howd that happen, Quinlan says. My son (Dillon, now 13) said Mom, you dont eat at McDonalds. He associates cancer with fast food. Before that I was always healthy.
She ran three marathons, including New York in 1995. Her first was the Dublin City Marathon in her native Ireland in 1980. She was also a standout field hockey player who nearly made the Irish national team.
Cancer turned her life upside down. With the support of her husband, Hector Huertas, and sons Dillon and Brendan, 11, she faced the challenge. After surgery, she couldnt wait to get back to exercising. It was tough, Quinlan said. There was no defeat. I wasnt going to let it keep me from doing the things I wanted to do. If the mind gets stronger and happier, the body will follow. Exercise is the best anti-depressant in life.
Quinlan has jumped into spinning with both feet. She became a spinning instructor two years ago and now teaches class at the Norwalk YMCA. She will be one of the presenters at SpinOdyssey, where she leads the group for a portion of the ride. In addition to spinning, SpinOdyssey also includes Zumba, tennis and group strength training. The 12-year-old event is the largest and longest-running spinning event in the country. Last year, it raised $410,000.
It has gotten easier, but I will still be pretty emotional, says Quinlan, captain of a 25-member team from the Norwalk YMCA. Seeing people spinning for the same reason has a great vibe. Everyone knows someone affected by breast cancer. I never thought Id the one on the other side of the fence that had to fight it. You just never know. You have to enjoy every day like its your last.
Know someone with an interesting story who is competing in a sport for charity? Send information to trenner@mainstreetconnect.us.
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