Bellingham-area woman pedals bike to help man get trike

KIE RELYEA

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Marilyn Williams will ride her bicycle 154 miles around Mount Rainier this week, climbing 10,000 feet along the way, to give Rick Hermann the three-wheeler he needs to once again ride out into the world.

When Williams, 60, hops onto her bike on Thursday, July 31, it will be for her 13th Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day. Known as RAMROD, the popular endurance event will send 800 bicyclists on a route counter-clockwise around the mountain, starting and ending in Enumclaw.

The Bellingham-area resident is using her ride to raise the $2,000 that Hermann, who has Parkinson's disease, needs for a recumbent trike with an electric motor that will help during those times when he can't pedal uphill.

| MARK MALIJAN THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

HOW TO DONATE

People have pledged nearly $2,400 toward the effort to raise $2,000 so that Bellingham resident Rick Hermann, who has Parkinson's disease, can buy a recumbent trike with motorized backup.
Bellingham-area resident Marilyn Williams is helping to raise the funds by pedaling the 154-mile Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day.
Tax-deductible donations are still being accepted, with additional dollars going to Northwest Parkinson's Foundation.
Donate by going to www.nwpf.org. Once there, click on "Team Parkinson's" on the upper right menu bar, then on "Support a Team Member" on the left, and then scroll down to Marilyn Williams' name.

"It brought tears to my eyes, like it is now. She's doing something that is incredibly kind and generous," said Hermann, 57.

About 60,000 people are diagnosed with the brain disorder each year, joining the estimated 1.5 million Americans who already have the disease, according to the National Parkinson Foundation.

Parkinson's occurs when the brain stops producing dopamine, a chemical that makes it possible for the body and its muscles to move smoothly. Major symptoms include slow movement, tremors, stiffness and difficulty with balance.

There is no cure.

Hermann was diagnosed with the disease in 1998 but said he had symptoms going back to 1991.

The Bellingham resident knew Williams from around town and the patch they had next to each other at the community garden off Lakeway Drive.

One day at the garden, Hermann talked about his desire to ride again and how he was looking around for a tricycle, which would provide him greater stability. Soon after, Williams decided to dedicate her ride to raising money for Hermann's motorized device.

"He wanted so much to get back on a bike and he was afraid if he didn't have backup, he'd get out there and not be able to get home because his muscles would say, 'We've had enough.'"

Parkinson's isn't unknown to Williams; her husband was diagnosed with it 12 years ago.

Before the disease stopped him, Hermann was the kind of rider who hit the streets before the phrase "bike commuter" was coined. He stopped riding last year, when handling a bicycle became too difficult, especially while turning.

"I tend to run into trees and light poles," Hermann said. "The turns seem to take on a life of their own. It breaks my heart not to be out there biking down the path."

Williams doesn't see what she's doing as a big deal. "It was just a good opportunity to do something for somebody."

For Hermann, her ride will allow him to regain some independence, some ability to get around - out there.

"It makes me feel like I'm still part of the world," he said.

Reach Kie Relyea at kie.relyea@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2234.