So much for the alleged health benefits of mountain biking.
Mike
Girls carry on tradition after dad's untimely death
Luis Ochoa, The Desert Sun
Danae York, 18, of Indio (left) poses for a picture with her
grandfather Douglas Hunt, 68, and her sister Deidre York, 15, also
from Indio. The two teens rode in a national mountain bike competition
last weekend in the Colorado Rockies following the death of their
father, Daniel York.
DARREN YORK
After Darren York's sudden death July 23 while mountain biking in
Mountain Center, family members and friends recalled him as a giving,
honest person who loved the outdoors and was devoted to his family.
York, 43, was the son of Indio pioneers Doug and Linda York. He was
president and owner of Meredith & Simpson Construction Co., an
Indio-based family business noted for building the Mathis Brothers
furniture store on Highway 111 in Indio.
In addition to mountain biking, he was an off-road racer and also
raced cars and trucks. He enjoyed snow and water skiing.He served on
the Indio Planning Commission from 2003 to 2004.
The Story
Local businessman dies while biking
K Kaufmann
The Desert Sun
August 17, 2006 August 17, 2006
Darren York put his daughters Danae and Deidre on their first mountain
bikes back in the 1990s, when the girls were just 11 and 8 years old.
He signed them up for their first races. He taught them how to change
their own tires and study a course to prepare for big bumps.
He also taught them to never give up.
So when York, 43, an Indio resident and former city planning
commission member, died suddenly while mountain biking with friends on
July 23, the decision about whether the two teens would take part in a
national competition last weekend in the Colorado Rockies was never in
doubt.
"He wouldn't want us to quit," said Danae York, 18, who rode to the
national junior mountain biking championship at the event near Aspen.
In addition to the national title, Danae is a member of the U.S.
mountain biking team. She heads to New Zealand today to compete in the
world championships, with Deidre, 15, and grandparents Douglas and
Carol Hunt of Palm Desert along for support.
The Hunts are the parents of the girls' mother, Lorraine York, 43.
"We were going to go even before their dad passed," said Douglas Hunt,
68, himself a senior mountain biking champion in 2003 and 2004. "(Now
it's) more important to be supportive of (the girls), and to represent
our country. Darren was very patriotic. We're a taking a whole
suitcase of little flags."
Racing emotions
The Colorado competition brought up memories and intense emotions for
both girls.
Danae said she was often riding through tears; Deidre was unable to
finish the race.
"Him not being there was hard," said Deidre, who begins her sophomore
year at La Quinta High School in September. "The race started on a
really steep climb. (Riding) through the emotions, I became so weak I
couldn't go on."
Even so, training for the race helped the family deal with Darren's
sudden death.
"It was something to turn sadness into something happy," Danae said.
"It actually helped our healing process."
York's autopsy is still not complete, Lorraine York said. The initial
report states he passed out while riding and was killed by the impact
of his body on the bike as he fell forward. Why he passed out is
unknown, his wife said.
His death was a blow not only to his family but to the valley's biking
community, which had become a second family for the Yorks since
Douglas Hunt started biking in 1998.
His enthusiasm for the sport soon spread to Darren, who in turn made
it a family activity with Lorraine and daughters Deanna, now 20, Danae
and Deidre all pedaling along.
The family started competing in 2001 when Darren decided to enter a
race and signed up Danae to keep him company.
After one race, she was hooked.
"The fun is definitely in the racing and it being a family affair,"
she said. "Mountain biking, it's all on you, you on the bike."
When she returns from New Zealand, Danae will continue racing as a
freshman at the University of Colorado in Boulder. She plans to major
in journalism.
The Colorado team is nonvarsity, which will allow her to turn pro in
2007.
"In endurance sports you don't peak till you're 27 or 28," Danae said.
"(I'm) still growing."
And continuing to draw inspiration from her father.
Following Darren's death, a family friend had a star named in his
honor through a commercial Web site. The naming is unofficial, but the
star - now visible in the Southern Hemisphere - has become yet another
way for the family to keep memories of Darren close.
"We'll be able to see the star (in New Zealand)," Danae said. "Dad's
always there. He's there in everything you do."
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"😉. Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!