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Biker's 150-Mile Trek Ends With a Surprise ProposalBy SARAH PARKER
Commitment has been a big issue for Alex Peña - especially recently. It's not a lack thereof; in fact, it's the exact opposite. On April 22, he completed the MS 150, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's annual charity bike ride from Houston to Austin that raises money for multiple sclerosis research. That will be a date he remembers forever, because that's also the date he asked his girlfriend, Kristi Mays, to marry him. He did it all for Mays, who was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis."Last July, she was diagnosed with MS and had some concerns about my leaving her. I tried to reassure her that that wasn't the case, and that I would be there for her. I realized that it was the perfect opportunity to ask her to marry me, so I started brainstorming to see what I was going to do," Peña said. The diagnosis has been tough on Peña, Mays and her 16 year-old daughter, Shelby Lamberson, but they've tried to adjust their lives and move on, together. "We were devastated with the diagnosis. She was worried about what to do, how to handle it," he said. "She's very fatigued and tired sometimes - [we take it] day by day. If she feels like it, we'll do something. If not, we'll stay in and rent a movie." Peña subscribes to the MS Society's newsletter, and there was a section in it entitled "Tell us your story." "I did it [submitted their history as a couple], and the MS Society called about it," Peña explained. At that point, the National MS Society stepped in. They contacted Robbins Bros., World's Biggest Engagement Ring Store, and as part of the jewelry store's Engagement Dreams promotion, helped facilitate the couple's impending engagement. "Robbins Bros. donated a $2,000 ring. Without them I couldn't have done it this way; it was perfect." In addition, the store donated $1,000 to the National MS Society in Mays' name and provided "dinner for three (at an upscale sushi steakhouse in Austin), flowers, champagne, everything - more than I could have done myself," Peña said. Although it had been awhile since he had last participated - "about 20 years," according to Peña - he had biked the MS 150 before. When he learned of Mays' diagnosis, he decided to participate again - for her. Along with participating in a worthy cause, the race allowed him one more benefit: it gave him the perfect place and opportunity to propose to Mays. He decided to surprise her and pop the question at the finish line. "I found out about the Champ's Area, where people with MS could sit and watch riders come in. When I found out that MS and Robbins Bros. was going to do this, I told her to sit there so that everything would flow smoothly - so I could make the arrangements for flowers and cameras to be there and we wouldn't have to chase each other around," he explained. "I asked her to go up there and meet me at the finish line so we could go home together," Peña said. "When I finished, I came around and met people from Robbins Bros. and the MS Society," he said. "They had a camera walking in front and behind me. When I came up to the tent, I met up with Kristi. I hugged her and told her I loved her," he said. Peña had hidden the ring in his bike pouch. "I greeted her and told her I had something for her. I told her I loved her very much, dropped to one knee and asked her - and she said yes," he said. The couple hasn't yet set a date. "We haven't talked about it; we're still just enjoying the moment. We'll [set the date] eventually," said Peña. With Robbins Bros. and the National MS Society's support, though, Peña said that his proposal "allowed Kristi to know that I'm here for the ride - no pun intended."
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