PMC 2025
Tis' but a scratch!
It's been a little bumpy over the last few months with a broken foot, a messed up shoulder and a damaged hip. However, as Monty Python would say, Tis' but a scratch compared to the challenge ahead for those lying in hospital fighting cancer. That is why, I have signed up to ride 200 miles in the Pan Mass Challenge again this year. I have some work to do - but I will get there.
Wish me luck and if you are able, please donate in support of my ride. Every penny goes to conquering cancer. Let's do this!
Profile Page: http://pmc.org/MP0175
Donation Page: http://pmc.org/egifts/MP0175
PMC 2024
Late! I am so late this year. Seven weeks to go until the PMC. So little training. But I made a commitment and I am sticking with it. The first weekend in August, just like the last 15 years, I will again tackle the 192 mile PMC to raise funds for cancer research. Wish me luck and if you are able, please donate in support of my ride. Every penny goes to conquering cancer. Let's do this!
Profile Page: http://pmc.org/MP0175
Donation Page: http://pmc.org/egifts/MP0175
PMC 2023
This year feels a little different. No where near enough time to train. Can I still ride 200 miles? I guess I am going to find out the first week of August when I will ride the PMC once again. I am quite happy to suffer all weekend long to raise funds for cancer research.
If you are interested and able to do so, please follow the links below to make a donation and join the fight to crush cancer. You will also find more details about my own personal journey, which I hope will provide some comfort and optimism for others who may be faced with similar challenges.
Profile Page: http://pmc.org/MP0175
Donation Page: http://pmc.org/egifts/MP0175
Thank you for all your help and support over the years. It has made all the difference.
Mark
PMC 2022
When I was first diagnosed with cancer in 2008, I thought it was all over. Like most people, I started googling my disease (Multiple Myeloma) and scared the life out of myself. My twin children were three years old at the time and all I could think about was how on earth am I going to provide for them and protect them? It was a truly terrifying time that shook my very foundation.
Then, one day I found myself sitting in a room at Dana Farber with Dr. Nikhil Munshi. The conversation we had completely changed my outlook and reset my frame of mind. Dr. Munshi is a wonderful human being. He is brilliant, deeply committed and genuinely humble. He has dedicated his life to fighting multiple myeloma. In that conversation, he told me that when I was searching the internet, I was reading about the past. However, the present is very, very different and the future is incredibly bright.
What he told me is that in the last few years there had been a number of very effective treatments for MM that had been released to the market. Perhaps more importantly, there are many, many more in the pipeline that are hugely promising. He told me, that with these treatments, we are close to managing MM as a chronic disease and even close to a cure. He told me that that with these new treatments, we are not really sure what to expect. He told me, that my book had not yet been written, and that I would get to write it myself. One chapter at a time. That was 14 years ago.
The first step was pretty intense with chemo, high dose chemo, a stem cell transplant and then a lengthy period of recovery. While sitting in an isolation room in hospital in November 2008, I resolved that I would never, never, ever give up. I would fight. Fight hard, with every muscle and sinew. I knew I would be back on the bike and riding again. After about a year, I was back at work, back on my bike and living a pretty normal life. I transitioned to maintenance treatment that I still continue today. The advances in treatment during this time have been truly remarkable. There are so many promising therapies on the horizon that I believe we will soon be able to conquer this beast. As a result, I am thriving. Absolutely thriving. My kids turn 18 next week and will be off to college in the Fall. I have a busy job and I remain a passionate cyclist. In fact, I ride about 10,000 km a year. In the last few years alone, I have ridden the high passes of the French and Italian Alps and I am looking forward to hitting the Pyrenees just as soon as we get a break from COVID.
The work of Dr Munshi and all the wonderful people at Dana Farber literally saved my life. They gave me the opportunity to lead a normal life. To work and watch my kids grow up. To ride my bike and have a blast with my friends. In return, I am committed to doing all I can to help raise funds to support Dr. Munshi's reseach and to help and support others who may also be faced with similar challenges. Don't despair, there are many who care who are working every day to cure this terrible disease.
If you are interested and able to do so, please follow the links below to make a donation and join the fight to crush cancer. You will also find more details about my own personal journey, which I hope will provide some comfort and optimism for others who may be faced with similar challenges.
Profile Page: http://pmc.org/MP0175
Donation Page: http://pmc.org/egifts/MP0175
Thank you for all your help and support over the years. It has made all the difference.
Ride on!
Mark
PMC 2021
It's been a wild year. The COVID situation has been really tough. But we are finally beginning to turn the corner. Cancer never stops and we will never stop fighting. In August, I will again tackle 200 PMC mile bike ride for cancer research. As last year, there will be no mass start. So with a small group of good friends, I will ride the route from my house to the tip of Cape Cod and back. It will be about 250 miles in total.
If you are interested and able to do so, please follow the links below to make a donation and join the fight to crush cancer. You will also find more details about my own personal journey, which I hope will provide some comfort and optimism for others who may be faced with similar challenges.
Profile Page: http://pmc.org/MP0175
Donation Page: http://pmc.org/egifts/MP0175
Thank you for all your help and support over the last 10 years. It has made all the difference.
Ride on!
Mark
PMC 2020
For the first time ever, after more than 30 years, we will not see 5,000 riders at the start line of the PMC. Due to COVID, we have had to reimagine the PMC this year. Cancer is not taking a COVID staycation and neither am I. We will continue to fight until we find a cure. So, my friends and I will ride from our hometown in Medfield, Massachusetts to the tip of Cape Cod - and back again - on PMC weekend. 250 miles over two days. Cancer is a tough competitior but we are tougher. If you have the means, please join us in the fight and make a donation. All funds go directly to Dana Farber ad every penny will make a difference. Onwards!
PMC 2019
Took a year off the PMC to ride in the Italian Alps. It was a wonderful trip made possible be the great work of the team at Dana Farber. Without them, it is safe to say, I would not be around to even attempt anything that ambitious. I will be back next year to continue the fight.
PMC 2018
10 years ago, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood plasma. It was terrifying at the time and I had no idea what to expect. 10 years later, here I am, stronger than ever thanks to the incredible work of the doctors, nurses and research team at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). In this short space of time, the DFCI team has worked in close collaboration with other cancer centers around the world to drive incredible advances in cancer treatment, introducing a number of highly innovative approaches that fundamentally change the way we approach all cancers by working with the body’s own immune system.
This work is only made possible by people like you who very generously donate funds to help support their research. On behalf of all cancer patients – thank you for all that you do to help us fight this formidable foe.
I am one of the lucky ones. 10 years after my original diagnosis, I am stronger than ever and the future looks very bright. As many of you know, I am a passionate cyclist and once again, I am deep in training to ride the 200 mile Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) the first weekend in August. This is a very important event to me. When I first moved to Boston I signed up to ride only to find myself a patient just a few weeks later. I made a promise then to ride it every year until we find a cure. So here I go again. Ready to turn the cranks for PMC 2018.
If you are interested and able to do so, please follow this links below to make a donation and join the fight to crush cancer. You will also find more details about my own personal journey, which I hope will provide some comfort and optimism for others who may be faced with similar challenges.
Profile Page: http://pmc.org/MP0175
Donation Page: http://pmc.org/egifts/MP0175
Thank you for all your help and support over the last 10 years. It has made all the difference.
Ride on!
Mark
PMC 2017
After a while, it becomes difficult to reach out to the same people, year after year in an effort to raise money. However, I have learned that there are many people out there impacted by cancer and committed to conquering this terrible disease who want to keep on contributing to fund the fight. It’s been nine years now since I was first diagnosed and in that time we have made remarkable progress in developing innovative treatments. At that time I committed that I would ride the 200 mile Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) every year and raise as much money as I possibly could until we find a cure. Unfortunately, a cure still eludes us. So with that commitment, in the depths of the Boston winter, I have once again started my training for the PMC.
On August 5-6, I will ride 200 miles from Sturbridge in central Massachusetts all the way to the tip of Cape Cod with more than 5,000 other like-minded riders - warriors in the fight against cancer. But we could really use your support to fight this formidable foe. So, if you are able, please join the fight and make a donation.
Thank you for your ongoing support. I truly appreciate it.
Read on below if you want to learn more about my own personal journey. I hope it provides some comfort for others who may be faced with similar challenges.
Mark
PMC 2016
I was first diagnosed with cancer in April 2008 when my twin kids Adam and Olivia were only three years old shortly after we first moved to Boston. After dealing with the initial shock, I began to read as much as I could about my disease (multiple myeloma) and tried to figure out what my odds were of surviving.
Then I had a great conversation with my doctor who has since become a close friend. In that discussion, he told me that there are new treatments available and a lot more in the pipeline. He told me that looking at statistics from the past could not predict the future because these treatments have completely changed the game. He told me that they really didn't know what the outlook was like for me or how things would unfold as we were all breaking new ground. He told me to write my own chapter and beat this disease. And that is what I have been doing ever since. I am living a normal life, I am happy and healthy, my kids are about to turn 12 and 2015 was my strongest year cycling ever!. I owe it all to the great work of the doctors, nurses and scientists at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
That is why I am planning to ride the PMC again this year and raise as much money as I possibly can to help fight this awful disease.
On August 11-12 will ride 200 miles from Sturbridge in central Massachusetts all the way to the tip of Cape Cod with more than 5,000 other like minded riders - warriors in the fight against cancer. But we could really use your support to fight this formidable foe. So, if you are able, please join the fight and make a donation at the link below.
http://www2.pmc.org/profile/MP0175
Thank you for your ongoing support. I truly appreciate it.
For more about my own personal story, keep reading below...
Mark
PMC 2015
I remember sitting in a hospital bed for over a month, staring at a blank wall in an isolation room for endless hours after I had my stem cell transplant back in 2008. I made a promise to myself then and I intend to keep it - I vowed to get healthy and get out of that place and ride my bike in the PMC every year until I could no longer turn the cranks or until we discover a cure for cancer. Well, we haven't found a cure yet but the good news is that I am turning the cranks pretty good these days and I am planning to ride 200 miles again this year and raise as much money as I possibly can to fight this awful disease.
On the first weekend of August I will ride 200 miles from Sturbridge in central Massachusetts all the way to the tip of Cape Cod with 5,000 other riders - warriors in the fight against cancer. I have been training hard and I am feeling great. I am happy, healthy and strong and I owe my life to the wonderful people at Dana Farber.
Please support me if you are able. You can make a donation at the link below.
http://www2.pmc.org/profile/MP0175
Thank you for your ongoing support. I truly appreciate it.
For more about my own personal story, keep reading...
Mark
PMC 2014
Here I go again. PMC 2014. Riding 200 miles for cancer research. Cancer doesn't give up and neither will I. I will keep riding until I can't turn the pedals any more. I know it's asking a lot, year after year, but the fight goes on and we still need your help. There have been huge advances in cancer research in the last five years and much of it has been funded by you and people just like you. Though Federal Government funding is on the decline, your generosity and your ability to put others first has made the difference - and then some.
Today I believe I am healthier than ever. Though I continue to have maintenance treatment every two weeks, I think of my cancer (multiple myeloma) like a chronic disease - something I just have to manage. This is a direct function of the amazing work of the researchers at Dana Farber that developed and brought to market the medications that have quite literally saved my life - all in the last 10 years. In fact, as part of my PMC training program, I just rode from Boston to Vermont in one day - 132 miles with 8,700 feet of climbing. Proof that with the right research funding we can make great things happen. It was an incredible ride and it made me feel like I could conquer anything. Now I am shifting focus to the PMC. The single best weekend of the year.
I am deeply grateful for anything you can do to help fight the fight and conquer this evil disease for good. Please donate if you are able and read on below if you want to learn more about my story.
Thank you for your support.
Mark
PMC 2013 You must be out of your mind crazy bonkers to sign up for that 200 mile bike ride again!, said my Dad when I told him I had just signed up to ride the PMC again this year to raise money for cancer research and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He may be right but as long as I can turn the pedals, I will ride the PMC. It is such a profoundly inspirational experience to ride with thousands of people who are committed to beating cancer and together raising more than $35M a year to fuel the fight - it is truly quite remarkable. I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma which is a cancer of the blood plasma five years ago now. There is no cure. At least not yet. But the funds raised by the PMC have had a direct impact on my life by funding the research that produced a number of new innovative treatments released in just the last five years that now allow me to manage MM like a chronic disease and not like something that is going to kill me tomorrow. I am fitter than ever, faster than ever, stronger than ever and I am going to ride the PMC and stare cancer in the face and tell it that I am up for the fight. It's going to be the one to back down. Not me. So, just like last year, I am going to raise as much money as I can in support of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to help them continue their ground breaking work so they can help others like me. I am directing all the funds I raise to the Multiple Myeloma research program in the hope that they might one day find a cure for the disease that I fight every day. Please join me and do what you can to help. Make a donation - large or small, it all counts and every penny makes a difference. Thank you for your support. Mark My Message from 2012 PMC 2012 Crack! That was the sound I heard when I crashed on my bike six weeks ago and broke my collarbone in two places when training for this year's PMC. My first thought was how soon can i get back on the bike and do I have enough time to train for the 200 mile ride. It turns out that I need 12 weeks to recover in full which means I would be good to go the week after the PMC. So, I wore a sling for two weeks instead of six and after two weeks, I went to the gym and rode intervals on the recumbent bike as I couldn't put any weight on my shoulder. Then after another few weeks I moved on to the indoor spin bike and more boring intervals while my riding buddies were out there crushing the miles out on the road. Last week I made it back on the bike and it feels great to be outside again. The shoulder still hurts but nothing is going to stop me from riding the PMC again. It is my chance to give something back to the people that gave me the gift of life. I will be riding with others just like me and with the friends and family of others that were not so lucky. It is a profoundly moving experience and I committed to ride and I will be there at the start line. I am also going to raise as much money as I can in support of the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute to help them continue their ground breaking work so they can help others like me. I am directing all the funds I raise to the Multiple Myeloma research program in the hope that they might one day find a cure for the disease that I fight every day. Please join me and do what you can to help. Make a donation - large or small, it all counts and every penny makes a difference. Stay well, Mark My message from 2011 Who would believe it? The last time I registered to ride the PMC I was diagnosed with cancer just three months later and had to stop my training, drop out of the ride and do a virtual ride instead. It has been a roller coaster ride since then including radiation treatment, chemo, high-dose chemo, a stem cell transplant and then more chemo. But, here I am about to tackle the PMC for real in 2011. All 193 miles of it. I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in April 2008, which is a cancer of the blood plasma that also impacts the bones and organs. Right now, there is no cure but the advances in treatment in the last few years has had a huge impact on people like me. I am one of the lucky ones. I was diagnosed early and I have responded very well to new treatments that were not available just five years ago. As a result, everything is very much under control and my cancer is being effectively managed much like a chronic disease like diabetes with regular maintenance treatments (that have minimal side effects if any at all). As a result, I am now able to live an otherwise normal life and have more energy than I ever had for everything that life offers. I expect to live like this for many, many years to come. I have a wonderful Doctor and team at Dana Farber that have committed their lives to developing innovative treatments and to ultimately finding a cure. After quite a journey in 2008, I returned to work full time in February 2009. I have now been back at work for more than two years and I am feeling better than I have in long, long time. I feel healthy, I feel strong and I feel really positive about the future. I owe it all to the dedication, hard work and committment of my Doctor and the Dana Farber team. I would not be here today if it were not for them. So now it's my turn to give something back. I am going to ride the PMC and raise as much money as I can to help them continue their work so they can help others like me. Please join me and do what you can to help. Make a donation - large or small, it all counts and every penny makes a difference. Live strong and stay well, Mark --- My Message from 2008 As many of you know, I love cycling and when I first arrived in Boston in June 2007 I made a commitment to enter the Pan Mass Challenge and ride 200 miles to help raise funds for the world leading Dana-Farber Cancer Institue. Little did I know at the time that I would become a patient at Dana-Farber and that I would be tackling a much more personal challenge in the fight against cancer.
As I can no longer ride in person this year, I was able to switch my registration to a 'virtual rider'. In this way, I can still participate in the event and do whatever I can to help raise funding. My goal is to raise enough money so that I can qualify as a Heavy Hitter fundraiser next year when I will ride it in person. Please join me in this fight and make a donation - large or small, it all counts and every penny makes a difference.
Thank you and stay well, Mark
