Dear Suri and Harvey

I was touched to receive your e-mail regarding my words in Nancy’s guest book. Your daughter was an inspiring friend and I will miss her dearly. Nancy and I met in 1994 on the Upper West Side. Nancy and a core group of about ten of us enrolled in a training class for road riding. Many of us hadn’t been on a bike since our youth and none of us had put in the kind of miles on a bike that we would soon do. From the beginning Nancy was an impressive and inspiring rider. It was no surprise to me that she excelled as a competitive cyclist. I left for San Francisco in 1997 and missed seeing her develop into the aggressive competitor that she was. I got to know Nancy at the head of the pack. She was an aggressive rider, and it always took me off guard that she was at the head of the pack.

We got to know each other on long rides up 9W from the George Washington Bridge to Nyack and beyond. I wish I could offer you stories of Nancy outside of our cycling endeavors. I saw her rarely outside of her cycling gear, which was every weekend for about three years of my life. I missed her when I moved out west, but kept in touch through a mutual friend, who would tell me stories about what a great cyclist she had become. Of all of us who started cycling together, she was the one who became the most accomplished competitor.

One of the things I remember most about Nancy was her passion for travel and her commitment to Judaism. I was always very jealous when Nancy headed out for one of her Colorado ski trips. I used to consider a career in travel if it could get me out of town as much as Nancy got out of town. I also remember that I would never see Nancy on Saturdays. As a non-Jew, it struck me as odd at first that she could maintain such serious training schedule and manage to observe the Sabbath. But she did. I guess it meant that she was out on the road during the week after work. I wish I could tell you more about Nancy’s life outside of cycling. Sometimes I wondered what her life outside of cycling was like, because all she seemed to do was cycle. I do know that your daughter was deeply admired and loved by her friends and we will miss her greatly. Perhaps the greatest contribution someone can make to their friends, family, and colleagues is to inspire others to be great. Nancy was such an inspiration.

I’m honored and touched with the opportunity to contribute to your memories of Nancy.

Best regards,
Geoff DiGirolamo