This is a really nice article about Bridie, written by George Beatty (a runner).  It appeared in the March 2003 issue of "Running Smoothly", the Massapequa Road Runners newsletter. 

It is followed by a remembrance written by Gail Boyd and a note about this year's St. Mary's Run for Children, which also appeared in the newsletter.
 

Runners are an unusual bunch. We hail from all walks of life and tread upon virtually every habitable square inch of this planet. We range in age from pre-teens to octogenarians and we can be either wealthy or needy. The common thread that connects us all is the very simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. Neither the length of time, nor the distance, nor the pace that we run can diminish the bond we share with the others who enjoy this sport. As vague as this affinity may seem, it can't easily be dismissed. Haven't we all observed a runner traveling along a road or trail and wondered: "Who is that?" "How far is she going?", "How fast is he running?". 

On a cold and windy afternoon in January, a runner was making her way home along Broadway in Massapequa. She wasn't running far and, most likely, not as fast as she once could. Her name was Bridget Goldstein. She was a mother, grandmother, nurse and incredibly, a runner and a soccer player with MS. But to those who knew her, she was just "Bridie". 

If you were a MRR member in the 80's and 90's you know well the effect that Bridie had on those around her (see Gail Boyd's accompanying tribute). According to long-time teammate and running partner, Mary Ellen Grimes: "Being with Bridie was always an adventure. We always drove to the soccer games together and she could make the most mundane story hilarious." Her lilting brogue and mischievous Irish smile were very often the driving forces behind some prank or ribald joke. She had a terrific sense of humor and never took herself too seriously. Jean Voltz goes as far as crediting Bridie with introducing the "F" word into her vocabulary, having been reinforced many times over the course of long training miles. 

When speaking with Bridie, part of the fun was trying to determine where the truth faded and the blarney began. Once she announced that she'd had the Star of David and a Shamrock tattooed on two of her teeth, in tribute to her heritage and that of her then-husband, Wes Goldstein. Listeners were dubious until she proudly displayed them for all to see. Then she added that she'd appeared on the Tonight Show and had given Johnny Carson a peek at her molars, a claim that, to this day, remains unsubstantiated.

Mary Ellen remembers: "You never knew if she was telling the truth or making up some wild fable. It didn't matter. Bridie was the life of the party, the road race, or the soccer game. You always knew when Bridie was around. We've played soccer together for the past 15 years and trained together for the marathon. On the big day - The New York City Marathon - I believe it was 1987, Bridie and I were on our way to the starting line on the women's side of the race. Of course, there were thousands of us trying to get as good a position as we could. Well, Bridie decided that we needed to be at the front of the line. She started yelling something or other to everyone around us (I think it was something about me needing some insulin). She pushed and yelled our way through the crowd. Before you knew it, there we were, at the front line of the race. Yes, Grete Waitz was directly in front of me. I remember looking at Bridie in complete disbelief thinking to myself, "Now what do we do?". But she was adamant that we should be at the front of the race line. Immediately following the blast of the canon, the elite runners completely overwhelmed us. The lesson I learned was this: It was NEVER just an outing with Bridie; It was an adventure." 

Bridie's enthusiasm was infectious and her innocence(?) could be disarming. She once got her soccer team thrown out of the Bunnery Pub (remember that place?). It seems that Bridie insisted upon climbing behind the bar and spraying patrons with the seltzer hose. Last Christmas, following dinner, she carried pails of snow into the kitchen. Then, to the chagrin of their mother, sat on the floor with her young granddaughters and made snowmen. When she was in her mid-forties, Bridie's niece, Colleen, approached her about being a bridesmaid in her wedding party. Bridie gladly accepted, declaring she'd make it into the Guinness Book of Records as "The Oldest Bridesmaid in the World". She then went on to crash the honeymoon, booking a block of rooms for family members close by the newlyweds suite at the Grand Floridian in Disneyworld. 

Bridie loved to play soccer. Years ago, she responded to an ad for a soccer goalie that a team called "The Drifters" had placed in the newspaper. She was very eager to join the team and showed up at the local school gym declaring: "I'm a goalie. What type of glove do I need?". A talented and aggressive player, Bridie had her way on the soccer field. She was known as "Elbows" to the referees and players alike and she always made her presence felt. Mary Ellen recalls: "She always insisted upon taking the coin toss at the beginning of the game, and she would always come back to the team yelling, 'We won! We won!'. We never knew what we won." 

Her enthusiasm was contagious and her teammates claim that playing soccer was a lot more fun when she was around. Bridie was one of the "more mature" players on the field but could certainly run circles (and score goals) around those decades younger. It wasn't until two years ago that the 55 year old Bridie felt the need to slow down a bit; she signed up with the "Hot Flashes", an over 40 team! 

MaryAnn Calise, who played soccer with Bridie, claims that she reluctantly took up running due, in large part, to Bridie's persistence. "I tried jogging in my neighborhood. I hated it!". Bridie recognized MaryAnn's potential and wouldn't let up. She kept entering MaryAnn in races, from the Fox Trot (another memory) to the Newsday Half Marathon! 

Her love of soccer resulted in an injury that, for a while, stumped some medical professionals in the area. Bridie had developed an infection in her leg that was slow to respond to medication. It wasn't until a connection was made between a gash she received while playing soccer and the Canada goose droppings littering the soccer field that an appropriate antibiotic was prescribed. A golf ball-sized chunk of her calf was removed. Needless to say, her running suffered... or did it? It seems that during the course of her treatment, it was determined that Bridie was anemic. She was put on supplements and even received a blood transfusion. When she returned to running competitively, her 5K times dropped dramatically -- nearly 5 minutes. The runners who had competed with Bridie at her old pace were shocked and wondered what triggered such a drastic change. "Training", she confessed, "It's all due to my training". 

Another near casualty of that infamous goose injury was Bridie's soccer career itself. Wes, concerned for her safety, suggested that Bridie give the game up. Bridie's response was to post action photos of women's rugby teams on the refrigerator. She promised that rugby would be her next pursuit if she were forced to quit soccer. Rumor has it that she even resorted to tossing her uniform into the shrubs under her bedroom window and feigning a shopping trip in order to avoid detection and get to a game. 

Bridie's big heart was golden. She was determined to live life to the fullest despite the challenges she faced, and she did so selflessly. She was determined that her family back home in her native Ireland should know what life is like in the States. She personally arranged for each of them to make a visit. On St. Paddy's Day, Bridie would make it a habit to bake extra loaves of soda bread, with and without caraway seeds, and leave them on the doorsteps of her friends. Many of those who've shared holiday meals in Bridie's home claim that you'd never know who would be sitting with you at the table. She would often invite a lonely or less fortunate individual from the community to join her family for dinner. She was that generous and that fearless. 

One year, following the Firecracker, she graciously invited hoards of club members back to her house for an impromptu party. Some of the revelers (who shall remain nameless) decided to punctuate the celebration by skinny-dipping in a neighbor's in-ground pool. That was her last post-Firecracker party! 

Betsy Healey, a long-time club member and soccer player says: "Bridie was one of the kindest, most generous people I have ever met. In 2001, my daughter Corinne was 9 years old and desperately wanted a hamster for Christmas. (She was on the fence about still believing in Santa.) In October, my husband and kids ran into Bridie and she asked them what they wanted for Christmas. Corinne immediately exclaimed: A hamster! Bride told her that Santa was bringing her a hamster, and that it would be on our front doorstep on Christmas morning! Two weeks before Christmas I was trying to figure out the logistics: where to hide the hamster once I bought it, and how long I could keep the animal outside on the doorstep without freezing it to death. Bridie called me and said that she was taking care of the whole thing. Sure enough, on Christmas morning there was a knock at our door. When Corinne opened the door, there was "Buster" the hamster in his two-story "deluxe condo" cage, complete with food and toys! I looked out the window and saw Santa driving down the block. To Corinne it was pure magic." 

Bridie's sense of humor was surpassed only by her dedication to the service of others. In addition to her work with St. Mary's Children and Family Services, Bridie frequently paid visits to sick friends. Mary Ellen claims: "Bridie was always in a hurry to get back from the (soccer) game because she was going to visit a chronically ill person that she knew. That is the kind of person she was; funny, generous, and kind. She truly lived every day as if it were her last. I will miss her terribly."

Several years ago Bridie decided to raise a companion puppy. Predictably, she developed a close bond with the animal. It was shortly thereafter that she was diagnosed with MS. Bridie mused jokingly, "Maybe they'll let me keep the dog for myself". When it was time for the dog to begin its training, she and her son Peter endured the heart-wrenching ordeal of surrendering the animal. They decided that once was enough, but they gladly took the dog when the trainers went on vacation. 

In her more competitive days, Bridie would join with club members at the Plainedge HS track for speed workouts. On one occasion, a group of teenage boys scaled the chain-link fence surrounding the property. One of the kids fell and his leg was impaled on the fence. Everyone rushed to his aid. According to Chuck Jacovina, it was a very severe wound - bleeding profusely and bone was nearly visible. Even the most macho of the would-be rescuers retreated with queasy stomachs and wobbly knees. But Bridie jumped in and took charge, checking the bleeding and comforting the victim until help arrived. 

That's what Bridie was all about. While she could clown around with the best of them, she had a sense of dedication and service that took control when it was needed. Many of her co-workers at St. Mary's point to her willingness to go beyond the boundaries of her job in order to reach some of the troubled kids she worked with. She would bribe them with a visit to McDonalds (at her expense), in order to secure a needed blood sample. For a while Bridie had her own nursing agency. One of her patients was Mario Puzo's ("The Godfather") wife. Years later, after she arrived at St. Mary's, Bridie leveraged the relationship she'd established with the late author and convinced him to contribute a NY Giants football parka to the institution. It became a Christmas present for a boy who was particularly fond of the team. 

The people who saw her running along Broadway on that blustery January afternoon probably wondered why this middle-aged, wisp of a woman was out in such weather, and wearing a smile, no less! They didn't know her. She was Bridie, and she was living life on her terms. The accident reports may state that she didn't make it home that afternoon. Those of us whose lives she touched prefer to believe that she was called home; following a life well lived and mercifully spared the progressive symptoms of her disease. 

Bridie's family has established a memorial fund to commemorate the legacy of this remarkable woman. The monies collected will be used to fund a scholarship to be offered to a child with special needs every year at St. Mary's graduation. Donations can be sent to: 

In a way, it is very fitting to remember Bridie in our March newsletter. After all, Bridie was born in Ireland and came to the States when she was a teenager. St. Patrick's Day is the 17th. Those of us who called Bridie our friend certainly join together in offering a traditional Gaelic Blessing: 

Bridie Goldstein: 
Inspiration in 1991

Why wouldn't she go away, this Bridie Goldstein?Ê She came across me in the 4th mile of the 5 mile Jones Beach Race in the Summer Series of 1991. I've long thought about Bridie ever since. She made her mark in my life that day. She made her presence felt. I could not shake her. Worse, she would not ditch me. A little after the 4th mile split, I was fading and just hanging on for that last mile in. Unfortunately, and true to my nature, I did not care what the clock said. Bridie cared. "Come on, Gail. Move that ass!" Oh great, Bridie Goldstein behind me, with her mouth and her spirit! I hope she goes away, I remember succinctly thinking. Bridie would not leave me. Lord above, I could not move without her reminding me I was pathetically crawling in. Torture. I tried to rally. No word from Bridie. Good; I could creep along. No good, Bridie's mouth again. Would this never end? How long was this mile anyway? The finish line finally loomed, thank you, thank you. I was happy, and I could breathe: an 8:40 pace for 5 miles. That wasn't bad for me. I have to thank someone. I turned around and saw Bridie Goldstein. "Thank you. I would never have done this without you beating me from behind!". She laughed and gave me a Bridie look, like she understood and accepted my words as truth. I always felt a special kinship to Bridie after that. Bridie'd taken the time to help me. She reached out of herself to touch another human being. Just when I thought she had "gone", I would hear her mouth and her opinion that I could and should do better. It registered. How many people stop in your life to tell you this? Who cares enough to see you do well? That was our Bridie Goldstein. She was our true "Golden Girl". She was our gift. And we who received it know it and revere it. 

With Love, 
Gail Boyd
 
 

This year the annual St. Mary's Run for Children, a 5K in Syosset on Thanksgiving weekend, will be held in Bridie's name.  Her family members and friends, including many non-runners, plan to be in attendance.  Please help to pay tribute to a life which touched so many others.  Whether you knew her or not, count yourself among the "Friends-of-Bridie".  Be sure to mark the race on your calendar.