After finishing my second Pan-Mass Challenge last year, I immediately started thinking about the 2024 ride and how much fun it would be to do it again. The Pan-Mass Challenge is such an incredible experience, one that I am truly blessed to be able to contribute to. Every time I go out for a bike ride, I smile, and think about how grateful I am to be able to ride and do something I love so much. Being able to combine my love for riding with a meaningful cause like the PMC is a gift for me. Being from the Boston area, I have always known about Dana-Farber and the incredible work they do. My great uncle passed away last year of 2 cancers and thankfully he had genetic testing which showed that our family has a PALB-2 cancer gene. Science is amazing and the work they do at Dana Farber helps those with genetic cancers to make decisions about their health before cancer. My mom has made those decisions and I’m so happy that we have access to this healthcare. Additionally, I live with Type 1 Diabetes, and I have spent quite some time in the Longwood medical area. I was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, which is an arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat that occurs randomly two years ago. While this was a challenging obstacle for me mentally, I have recognized that I am still able to do the things I love, including riding my bike. My experiences with the medical world have inspired me to get involved with advocacy and fundraising. As much as my chronic illness can be managed, for far too many people cancer still charts its own ugly path. I am riding for all impacted by cancer and who support Dana-Farber’s commitment to fighting cancer with equal parts patient care and research. I am going to give this my all, and I greatly appreciate everyone's support.