2010 was my first year riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge as a member of the Pedals for Pediatrics team www.pedalsforpediatrics.org
I personally raised $4,443 for Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Together with the generous contributions I received were your kind words and the cards and letters containing encouraging notes, bits of wisdom and your stories of loved ones with cancer and personal victories over the disease.
Looking back, the 163 mile route was not so much a challenge, but a journey. As I rode, I realized that there were more stories to learn and absorb along the way. There were the myriad people along the route holding posters which read, “I’m a Survivor.” The young boy who held up a poster that read, “I’m 14 because of you,” told a very poignant story. The fellow rider we encountered at Mass Maritime had obviously lost her hair and we learned that she had completed her last chemo treatment just weeks before the ride. Then there was the vision of the old woman that occupied my thoughts for many miles. She stood on her front lawn, hunched over and using a cane for support, waving to us as we rode by. Standing for any period of time could not be comfortable for her, I thought. There was a lawn chair set up behind her, but she chose to stand. All alone. What was her story? Surely she had one, for her to feel that it was so important to be standing out there in her yard, showing us her support. And what about the hundreds. . no . . literally THOUSANDS of people that lined the roads from Wellesley to Provincetown? We exchanged waves and many “thank you’s,” but what was their story?
I have a story of my own to share. Approximately 20 miles from the finish on Saturday (Day 1), I felt a “pop” behind my right knee. It wasn’t painful enough to cause me to stop, but continually bothersome, nonetheless. About that same time, I was beginning to feel that I could not sit on that bicycle seat for another mile ��" let alone another 20 miles! I continued to ride, alternating between standing and sitting . . . and standing and sitting . . . as I pedaled. I crossed the finish at Mass Maritime Academy about 2:30 p.m., and not a moment too soon. And that was only Day 1. After a hot shower; a meal; and a few Ibuprofen, it was off to bed by 7:00 p.m. We awoke on Sunday morning at 4:00 a.m. for hot coffee and breakfast, courtesy of Dunkin Donuts and the multitudes of Pan Mass volunteers who climbed out of their warm beds to serve us in the early morning darkness. We would be getting back on our bikes before sunrise to ride the final 79 miles to Provincetown. I was feeling pretty good . . . until I climbed back on that seat. In the early morning darkness, I rode over the Bourne Bridge. As I rode alongside the Cape Cod Canal, the colors in the sky as the sun was rising were stunning, but I was having a hard time appreciating the beauty of the morning. 3 miles into it and as other riders were passing me by, my inner voice was speaking very loudly. It said, “You’ve got to be kidding yourself! You and this bicycle seat and that sore knee are NOT going to make it another 76 miles.”
Suddenly and without any time for reasoning, it quickly hit me that my body was not hurting anymore. I felt strong and there was no pain. Anywhere. I was in disbelief, but there was no mistaking it. My body was no longer in pain. Call it a miracle. Divine Intervention. An angel on my shoulder. Call it what you will, but at that moment, I knew that I was not doing this ride alone. The stories from the many note cards I received and the unspoken stories of the supporters along the route all came back to me and I had no doubt that I would see the finish line in Provincetown.
I crossed the finish line at 1:30 p.m. with my family and friends cheering me on and I knew at that moment, that I had only completed my first of, hopefully, many Pan-Mass Challenges. It’s a feeling that I can’t explain. I couldn’t slap that grin off my face and I thank God that I am healthy and able to use this gift to help others.
In honor and in memory of loved ones who have suffered with cancer, I am registered to ride again this year on August 6th and 7th. I will ride for my Aunt Vivian, who was just told in the past few weeks that her cancer has returned and has spread. She has elected not to undergo chemotherapy. I am heartbroken, but will cherish the years and memories we’ve made together, because she told me that’s what she wants me to do. What I want to do is support cancer research and treatment in her honor.
I have committed to this cause because cancer has touched all of us. I truly believe that everyone has a reason to ride, volunteer or donate. Can I ask for your support in this endeavor? Your entire contribution is tax-deductible and 100% of your contribution goes to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to support cancer research and treatment.
Contributions can be made by check, payable to “PMC” or “Pan Mass Challenge” and mailed to me:
Online contributions can be made by credit card at www.pmc.org. Click “Make a Donation” and you can look me up by name or my EGift I.D., which is KA0065.
Please know that contributions in any amount are greatly appreciated . . . and I do welcome your stories. I believe that everyone has one.
