Recently, I interviewed my friend, fellow cyclist and Captain of the Rockin’ Jalapenos, Arvin Torio.
Knowing of the team’s longstanding dedication to the cause, I was curious to hear in his words how the Rockin’ Jalapenos formed and what has kept them together all these years. LA Cycling Examiner: How many years have you been the Captain for the Rockin’ Jalapenos Arvin Torio: We’ve been around 13 years, and I’ve been Captain for eight of those years. Are you the founder of the team Are there members in your family who are inflicted with MS Yes, my friend (Vladimir) and I founded the team. At that point, we just wanted to ride our bike in an organized ride. We just happened to end up [registered] with the Southern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The route [in 2004] was from Ontario to Palm Springs. I have no connection to MS and none of my family members are inflicted with MS. I guess that’s why I keep coming back I want to keep it that way. Who came up with the name “Rockin’ Jalapenos,” and is there a story behind the name Now that’s a million dollar question, isn’t it We never told the story behind the name. Why start now Why is riding for this cause important to you personally In the first couple of years that the Rockin’ Jalapenos existed, it wasn’t personal. We just wanted to ride, and it seemed that this event was organized by caring people. We truly appreciated the accommodations and the friendly atmosphere. As we educated ourselves over the years about MS, our reasons for riding became more apparent, and we’ve come to realize the things we took for granted. We’ve met friends with MS and heard the stories of their struggles. Several of our team riders either have MS or have loved ones with MS. This is when it got personal. Although advanced medication exists, there is still no slam-dunk cure for the . We still don’t know what causes the disease. This is why we can’t stop. Our fight must continue.
Anything else you’d like to say about the cause, the ride and/or your team We need to keep fighting until we find out what causes and cures MS. Come out and join us on the ride. Meet the people with MS and listen to their stories. Many times they’ve come to us and tell us how grateful they are that we’re doing what we do. What they don’t realize is that they’re the ones who inspire us!