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Neither rain, nor cold …
Setauket teen bikes 100 miles for cancer research $
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Ward Melville High School junior Natalie Steinberg of Setauket just completed a 100-mile bicycle ride to help raise awareness about cancer — and research money to cure it.
Joined by her father, Alan, and several others from Long Island, Steinberg participated in the Montauk Century on May 17 as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training, a charity sports program that offers training for marathons, half-marathons, triathlons, hiking adventures and century bike rides. Departing from Babylon at 7 am, Steinberg's team of 40 endured rain and frigid weather to complete the 100-mile ride, arriving in Montauk 10 hours later.
Natalie Steinberg said she decided to participate because "I love fundraising, and I really love helping other people." She began training in January, waking up at 5:30 am every Sunday to meet with her teammates, and raised nearly $6,000 by reaching out to friends and family. The youngest participant in her group, Steinberg, 17, said, "Seeing everyone from the team cross the finish line and being able to ride the century with my dad" made it all worthwhile.
"At about mile 60, I looked at my dad and said, 'Dad, I'm done,'" the junior recalled, noting that it was raining and cold during the first 50 miles of the ride. But with support from her father and rest stops along the way, Steinberg said she was able to cross the finish line, a "great feeling." Inspired by young cancer patients whom she met at a kick-off party for the bike ride, the Setauket student said she looks forward to participating in the century again and hopes other teens will be motivated by her example.
WMHS Principal Alan Baum described the junior's accomplishments as "amazing" and said, "It speaks volumes of her character, determination and fortitude. It's a wonderful accomplishment for anyone but especially for a young adult."
Alan Steinberg, 51, also applauded his daughter for completing this "huge undertaking." Feeling the support from the team and realizing that his daughter was ahead of him "kept this old guy going," he said, describing the century ride as an "absolutely unique, life-transforming memory-creating event."
A neuropsychiatrist in Centereach, Alan Steinberg noted that he often meets people struggling with diseases such as cancer. But for his daughter, who had never met a cancer patient, meeting young people who suffer from the disease was a "large part of what motivated her" to participate in the Montauk Century. Having never ridden a bicycle for a long period of time before this 100-mile ride, the proud father said Natalie "held her own quite well." "She will always remember she did this," the proud father said, "and I will always remember that we did this together."
During the ride, Alan Steinberg recalled thinking, "We may be cold and wet, but we're doing it for a good cause." And for those who may think only "über-jocks" can complete such a task, the 51-year-old assured, "You can do it. Anybody can do it if you have a good team behind you and you're motivated to achieve this."
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