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When Greg Corcoran ’07 (Ridgewood, N.J.) sets out on the 270-mile Tri-State Trek for ALS this July, he’ll have some extra motivation. He and two of his best friends from high school will ride in honor of high school teacher, coach, and mentor Jack Elwood, who is now afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“Mr. Elwood is a great guy; he is someone who is more of a friend than a boss-like figure,” says Corcoran, who is a member of Lafayette’s varsity track team. “Even though he was a coach for the girls’ track team, there was never any hesitation on his part to help me or anyone on the boys’ team. He was always there since my freshman year, so he was able to see me develop all the way to my senior year.”
In addition to his coaching duties, Elwood was a teacher at RidgewoodHigh School in Ridgewood, N.J. and a supervisor at Graydon Pool, where Corcoran worked during the summers.
ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes paralysis by killing the nerve cells that control movement. There is currently no cure for the disease.
“I remember when he was first getting symptoms but didn’t know yet that it was Lou Gerhrig’s,” recalls Corcoran. “When I finally found out, it was a shock. It was a disease that I was a little familiar with – like the general symptoms – but I never thought it would affect someone I knew. He was always such an athletic guy; I couldn’t imagine him being anything but that.”
Corcoran will ride with childhood friends Chris Wolfstirn, an exercise science major at WilliamPatersonUniversity, and Colin Donnelly, a criminal justice major also at William Paterson.
“I am very excited to do this with Chris and Colin,” says Corcoran, an economics and business major. “We have all been extremely close in high school and all through college. The idea of doing something like this with them is what made me want to do the ride in the first place.”
Corcoran hopes his track experience will give him an edge as he starts training for the bike ride, which will take place July 20-22. Riders will pass through Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York as they make their way from Boston to White Plains, N.Y.
“I have never been a bike rider, but I am hoping that coming from track, it will give me a bit of a head start on the training, but obviously it is a completely different kind of monster,” he says. “I am more of a long sprinter type when it comes to track, and the bike ride is 270 miles over three days, which is extremely different. So, all in all, I am hoping track will help me, but by no means am I going to completely depend on it.”
Corcoran’s team is attempting to raise $5,000 before the start of the race. To contribute, visit the team web site or contact Corcoran through email.
This year’s event will be the fifth annual Tri-State Trek. Last year, nearly 80 participants from around the country raised over $155,000 for ALS research.