Help Melissa make a difference for her children and the Autism community.
Coming into her seventh year of riding a century during the Bike to the Beach New York ride, Melissa Swailes is still going strong, with no signs of letting off the gas pedal any time soon! Throughout the years, Melissa’s team has grown and evolved, bringing people into the mix from across the board. She has gotten deeper into her local ADA community on Long Island, and through that process helped to create an even stronger sense of community through fundraising efforts that ensure the money that is being raised stays within their local community to benefit the families and children in need of support.
Her journey to Bike to the Beach began seven years ago when her daughter, Brooklyn, was diagnosed with Autism at 2 years old. While Melissa wasn’t unaware, the true challenges and nuances that came along with raising a child diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum weren’t something that she was fully familiar with. It was shortly after Brooklyn was diagnosed that Melissa’s brother, an avid cyclist who lived out in California, told her, “Hey, there’s this really cool autism bike ride, it’s 100 miles” that he had heard about. Although Melissa had never been a regular cyclist, her brother’s conviction and commitment about riding the 100 miles convinced her that it was something that she wanted to and would do alongside him. With her daughter giving her motivation the entire way, Team Brooklyn’s Riders took to the course. When she crossed the finish line that first year, Melissa felt the tears begin to roll down her face as she knew that she had completed something she might never have done if not for the fire that Brooklyn had lit inside of her and the knowledge that her participation meant something in the fight to bring awareness and support to the Autism community. Already planning on participating again the next year, Melissa’s source of inspiration doubled when her son Carter turned 2 and was also diagnosed with Autism. Now, riding in her second event under the banner of Team ABC (Autism Awareness for Brooklyn and Carter), Melissa and her brother once again tackled the century Bike to the Beach New York ride. This time, she was pushing herself for both of her kids. After that ride, Melissa knew that this was going to become a yearly event that was circled on her calendar. Every year, her brother flew into New York to get out there on the course riding the century alongside her for his niece and nephew.
One of the advantages of riding in the event year after year, Melissa found, was getting to know the other participants and having that immediate connection through the passion they all shared for bringing awareness and fundraising support for Autism and Autism support organizations across the United States. Melissa took the fun and excitement that she had experienced through the rides and brought it back out to the community, and slowly but surely her team began to grow.
The connection through Autism is what brought Kristen Savino to team ABC. The two had become fast friends through their children, who were both in pre-K special needs programs. It wasn’t long after that another mom, this time one of Brooklyn’s friends mom who Melissa got acquainted with through seeing her around school, joined bringin team ABC to four total riders. The additions to the team worked well with the name Team ABC as well, seeing as the childrens names also began with A’s and C’s Participating in Bike to the Beach brought Melissa in contact with other riders who participated on behalf of local non-profits. In fact, she has now taken a leadership role with the NSASA (Nassau-Suffolk Autism Society of America), an organization who gives families on Long Island the opportunity to experience different activities and take excursions that might otherwise be incredibly daunting or downright impossible for them and their Autistic children on their own. Last year Melissa was accepted to the NSASA board, no doubt in part to the fantastic amount of money she has been able to raise through Bike to the Beach in the past few years that stays within their local community.
Melissa looks around her and feels incredibly blessed for all the support she receives from her friends and family. Her fathers accounting firm, JT Associates, has even joined in the fun the last three years with riders joining Team ABC. It speaks to the great all-encompassing everyone welcome mentality of Bike to the Beach. Some of those riders want to ride as much as they can and as fast as possible. Others want to see how much they can raise and enjoy pushing each other on the fundraising leaderboard, and still can enjoy pedaling the shorter distances offered. Melissa recalled a time when she was riding along at mile 80 and struck up a conversation with the guy riding next to her. It turned out he had never ridden a bike for more than a mile at a time, yet here he was at mile 80 just chugging along and enjoying every moment of it. Or there was the rider last year, a gentleman with Autism who rode the 25 mile route in New York while one of his housemates/aides rode alongside him.
To Melissa, this ride brings together so many people dedicated to a similar cause, helping to give children diagnosed with Autism the most opportunities possible, opening up doors that them and their families might never have imagined possible. It’s what drives her to get out there every year and ride, in addition to hitting the fundraising doors hard.The strong and noble nature of the cause, and all the benefits she has seen first hand with her own eyes allows her to push past the fear that might have held her back at the beginning. It’s also her advice to anyone having trouble getting out there and fundraising, to look at the benefits and focus on all the good that can come of it. Push past any discomfort, and keep on going.
Overall, Team ABC is looking to take the New York Bike to the Beach ride by storm again this next weekend. Numbering between 8-10 riders this year, Melissa will be leading the charge as she rides with immense pride, the futures of not only her children, but all who she can touch pushing her forward as she tears down the route on her way to Hamptons beach! Thank you Melissa for all that you do, not only for Bike to the Beach but the NSASA, your local community, and your family as well!
