On February 27, 2015, my mom Connie Peterson passed away from terminal liver cancer. She was diagnosed 7 months earlier, in the beginning of my sophomore year of high school. Before she was diagnosed, my mom was the hardest working, most loving , and healthiest person I knew. She loved her family more than anything, and was not only extremely commited to her own health, but also her family's. She participated in yoga, beachbody, shakeology, cleanses, an organic and vegan eating lifestyle, and massage therapy. Despite her incredible commitment to her health, cancer was still able to appear in her body, in its most vicious form.

I knew that I could not do anything about her condition, but I did know that I could help make it so that other families never had to go through what our family did. I rode in the Pan-Mass challenge for the first time in 2015, at age 15, being the youngest rider. Collectively, my team Big Lion, named in honor of my mom, raised over 20,000 dollars. It is my goal to continue riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge for as long as I can.

This year, I will be riding again with team Big Lion, a team which includes my father Cristopher Peterson and our good friend Lucy Smith. My mom was treated at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and without them, she would not have been able to be with us for as long as she was. We are forever grateful for their commitment to my mom and our family. 100 percent of donations will be donated to Dana Farber.