When I first hopped on a bike as a kid, it was all about mastering a new skill, feeling the wind rush past, cruising with friends, exploring beyond my neighborhood, and experiencing the freedom of getting around without relying on mom and dad.

As I've grown older, many of those motivations remain, but new ones have also emerged, becoming integral to my life. Sure, cycling is a fantastic low-impact workout, but it's also my escape, a chance to clear my mind, even if only temporarily. However, for the past 17 summers, it's meant much more—as a testicular cancer survivor it's been a way to give back to a place that has given me so much: the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Once again this year, I'll be participating in the Pan-Mass Challenge, a grueling 2-day, 200-mile cycling event in Massachusetts held every first weekend in August. Alongside 6,000 others, I'll pedal from Sturbridge to Provincetown on Cape Cod, regardless of the weekend's weather. The PMC continues to hold the mark as the largest athletic fundraiser in the world. Our fundraising goal this year is a lofty $72 million, and while that figure is impressive on its own, it takes on even greater significance when viewed in the context of the PMC's 44-year history.

Since its inaugural ride in 1980, when it raised just over ten thousand dollars, the PMC has consistently raised critical funds for Dana-Farber, totaling an astounding $972 million. Later this year, when the final fundraising tally is revealed, it will mark a momentous milestone: surpassing the $1 billion mark in total funds raised. Those dollars have played pivotal roles in cancer research and treatment that has affected every single one of us and our families over the past 44 years.

Thank you in advance for your steadfast support and I hope to see you along the roads of Massachusetts on

August 3rd and 4th !