I ride in memory of my husband, Koji Nakashima, who died in March 2023 at age 47 of an aggressive form of renal cell carcinoma. Koji was an avid biker, commuting on his bike between our home in Jamaica Plain and his job as an internal medicine physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He took great joy in bringing our two daughters, Fiona and Bridget, on treks to the Charles River in a bike trailer when they were little, eventually teaching them to ride their own bikes. We loved taking bike trail rides and many shorter bike trips closer to home in the Arboretum.

Koji talked about doing the PMC someday. He would have turned 50 this May, so that someday is here— I’m riding because Koji never got the chance. I’m riding for everyone who has been affected by cancer, including my dad, a melanoma survivor, and my cousin Colton, a pediatric kidney cancer survivor. I’m riding so that someday we have effective prevention and treatment options for all cancers.

This is my first PMC ride and I am thrilled to be a member of Team FLAMES, inspired by two of my cousins, Matt and Sarah Delaney, longtime PMC FLAMES riders. Their mom, my aunt Mary, is a Dana-Farber oncology nurse and volunteers in the PMC first aid tents every year. Mary's incredible colleagues served as Koji's phenomenal team of oncologists, nurses, and patient care assistants who cared for him during the 18 months he received treatment at Dana-Farber.

Thank you so much for any amount you can give in support of my ride, 186 miles over 8/2-8/3/25, for the lifesaving research conducted every day at Dana-Farber.

100% of every dollar goes directly to Dana-Farber, money needed now more than ever.