DEFYING THE ODDS VALENCIA WOMAN IS AIDS RIDE DESPITE DOCTOR'S WARNINGS.

Byline: Sharon Cotal Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Despite being told by an orthopedic surgeon earlier this year to refrain from exercise, Dona Norris of Valencia intends to defy the odds for a good cause next month in the Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride.

Norris, 33, visited an orthopedic surgeon because of lower back pain and was told that she had the back of a 65-year-old. Then the surgeon looked at her knees and advised Norris to refrain from exercise and never take the stairs again if she wanted to preserve the joints in her body.

``I just couldn't believe he was suggesting that I maintain a sedentary lifestyle,'' Norris said. ``I was in tears when I left the building.''

So, adopting the philosophy that the key to freedom from immobility is mobility, Norris chose not to heed the doctor's advice and decided instead to get moving.

And she's been moving a lot lately as she trains to ride her bicycle 510 miles in six days from Fairbanks to Anchorage for the Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride Aug. 21-26.

``Since I started training for this ride, I've noticed an increase in my mobility,'' Norris said. ``You can't get anywhere in life if you don't move.''

Norris saw an advertisement in a newspaper for the AIDS ride and thought, What a great way to combat this disease - instead of finding a cure, they can nip it in the bud with a vaccine.

Norris said she doesn't know anyone with the AIDS virus and realizes that most people wait until something affects them personally before they get involved, either financially or physically, in a cause.

``I want to do something now,'' she said.

Proceeds from the first-ever event will benefit the work of three of the world's most respected AIDS research scientists and their teams - including Dr. Irvin Chen of the UCLA AIDS Institute - as they work to eradicate AIDS through a vaccine.

Norris will pay her own expenses including her equipment, training, air fare and the shipping of her bike, and has set a personal fund-raising goal of $10,000. So far, she has raised $7,000.

To help her reach her goal, individuals or businesses can contribute by visiting the Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride Web site at www.alaskaride.org or sending donations to Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride, C/O La Salle Bank, 135 S. La Salle, Dept. 3004, Chicago, 60674-3004.

Checks should be made payable to Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride, and contributors should include Norris' name and rider number (#340) on the check or on the Web site donation form.

Meanwhile Norris continues to train for the event, even though she often experiences excruciating pain in her joints during her rides. She recently completed her longest one-day ride ever - 97 miles - and feels confident that she will be able to complete the 510-mile trek in August.

``I'm in a lot of pain, but I've noticed a marked difference in my life, both physically and mentally, just by having a goal to work toward and by being active,'' Norris said.

CAPTION(S):

photo