Joe's Drive

Joe Martuscello Update
Note: This is being posted by Bill Zeiser ( Brother in law)
Joe’s Drive:

As we all pray for Joe’s last chance chemo to be a success I want to share a weekend that Joe and I spent together in the spring of 1994. Toni had given me a new Rm 125 dirt racing motorcycle for my birthday in February and Joe decided to try his hand at racing my 1988 model. He had not raced motorcycles before, We discussed the fact that the hare scrambles I raced in were 2 hours long and they put obstacles in the track that one had to jump over. Joe said he really wanted to do it and we went down the day before the race to a hunting camp in the southern tier. Joe had to master jumping loose logs on the trail while maintaining speed so as to make it up the steep hill we had to climb. When we started out on Saturday morning, Joe came upon his first set of logs and jumped them with the front of the bike. Unfortunately, he did not lighten up on the throttle and this caused the back of the bike to shoot out and throw Joe and the motorcycle to the ground. He tried again and again with the same results. Joe had fallen mor then 15 times. At this point I asked him if he wanted to forget about the race the next day and just do some light trail riding and enjoy the day. Much to my surprise, he said “no” he was committed to learning to master the logs so he could race the next day. After falling about 5 more times he started to jump the logs successfully. That evening over the camp fire we laughed about it, but I could not help but wonder how he would do the next day at the race.

The next day Joe rode the hills, jumped the logs, and finished his first Hare scrambles.

I must admit I was really surprised that he was able finish, and wonder if I would have had the fortitude to push to the level he did that spring day in 1994.
This is the kind of man I have come to know and that is how I know he has the deep intestinal fortitude to continue his battle with cancer. Joe, I salute you and you are in our prayers daily.
God Bless You and help you in this battle, All our love Bill, Toni Jamie & Amanda