I WAS A FRIEND OF NANCY’S, yet not a close one. But in a sense we shared a kindred spirit. I met Nancy a few times around the Upper West Side for Shabbos lunch, etc. I also met her a few times while bicycling in Central Park. A while ago, Nancy, my friend Amy and I rode for eighteen miles together in Central Park. So we got a chance to talk awhile.

I also spent a number of seasons racing (in New York and Colorado). Of those from the frum community, very few know the dedication and the heart it takes to come out in front in a race. Training for the races, especially while holding down a full-time job, is tough, to say the least. The love and the spirit must be there to succeed. I have extended the spirit which we share to many other passions, often disregarding much else in my life. Nancy was an inspiration to me, proving that a person can balance a stable work life, be a member of the Jewish community, and retain the spirit and dedication to race.

The sport of bicycle racing is adrenaline pumping. The love of nature around you is exhilarating. I try to extend this to G-d and religion. When I left the Colorado Rockies, where there is nothing frum, I praised G-d’s beauty that I was a witness to for those years. For me that spirit is an important part of G-d on earth. I appreciated Nancy right away because we had the same spirit. Others experience that spirit, usually in terms of a short-lived recreational experience; what Nancy had was way beyond that.

I have spoken about bicycling, yet most important is that she was a sweet person and a deep down goodness was apparent from just a few minutes with her. For only a few people does that kind of goodness pour out of them so obviously.

I am sure that there are many people praying for her and her aliyah. While the prayers of many can serve to lift her, in my opinion she needs no assistance.

Maimon Kuhr