Back in the saddle for year 9, the last ride out of Sturbridge before moving to the new Worcester start.

Last year was an incredibly challenging year in so many ways. The first weekend of August, a weekend that has brought so much joy to my summer the previous 7 years was filled with mixed emotion. My sister, Marissa, was there in Sturbridge with me ready to take on her first PMC. This was a light in a dark period for our family, losing our dad 4 months prior, that made me so excited, and proud of her for taking on the journey.

The miles on the road, often training solo, have always been a time of solace and reflection (and maybe a little fear of drivers). Last year’s training season I was given the opportunity to deliver some brutal workouts to my sister to get her acclimated to the bike, though I can’t find my tracker of how many times she cursed me out on those rides.

The emotional filled weekend had finally come, and one that I find myself tearing up as is, happened much more often this year. I got to share with her traditions of the weekend, BT’s dinner Friday night, a stop at the narrows, and beverages in Provincetown on Sunday. She got to learn the hard way, adding a few miles to the end of her ride Saturday, to never try and “drop me” after a mudslide at the narrows. She got to meet PMC friends and truly understand what this weekend means to be a part of.

This past year has been filled with a lot of changes, including a move and a new job. I accepted a position in endoscopy sales with Boston Scientific, a company dad proudly worked for over a decade of his career. I’ve had countless moments already that I would have loved to ask dad a quality or engineering question

I appreciate all the support over the last 9 years of raising funds for the important teams at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.