This year I am proud to participate in the Pan-Mass Challenge - a bike-a-thon that raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the country. Since its founding in 1980, PMC riders like me have raised more than $1 billion for lifesaving cancer research, treatment and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the country's top cancer care hospitals.

Cycling has always been a passion of mine, a passion I have shared with my lifelong friend, Colin. From the moment we got our first bikes, we were hooked—riding trails, building jumps, and exploring. We even worked together at Landry’s Bicycles in high school, sharing our enthusiasm for cycling with the community.

Colin has ridden in the PMC for the past two years, but this year, everything changed. This winter, he was diagnosed with an advanced stage of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When he told me, I was stunned. Cancer? At twenty years old? It didn’t seem real. He’s always been healthy, full of energy, the last person you’d expect to face this challenge. His diagnosis forced me to take a step back and realize how unpredictable life can be—and how important it is to make every moment count.

Colin has taken a semester off from school and is currently undergoing six rounds of intense chemotherapy. It's expected he will make a full recovery, thanks to the incredible care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Witnessing firsthand the impact of the research and treatment funded by the PMC has made me even more motivated to ride.

This year, I will be riding with Team Brainstorm, a group dedicated to fighting pediatric brain cancer. We ride for Declan, a 7-year-old who was diagnosed with a pediatric low-grade glioma in 2019. So far, he’s endured three brain surgeries, 18 months of chemotherapy, countless MRIs, and over 500 seizures. Our team rides in his honor, and for every child battling Pediatric Low-Grade Gliomas. 100% of the money we raise goes directly to Bando Labs at Dana-Farber, led by Dr. Mimi Bandopadhayay.

If you can, please consider donating to my ride. Every dollar brings us closer to a world without cancer. Your support means everything—to me, to Colin, Declan, and to so many others fighting this battle.

Thank you for being a part of this mission with me. Let’s ride toward a cure!