#WhyIPMC guest blog by Marissa Bunnewith, 1st-year rider, Team Ruby Wines
My brother Brandon has been participating in the Pan-Mass Challenge for eight years now. Every year, I am amazed
by him and all the riders who put in so much effort to support such an important cause. Each year that Brandon has ridden, he has written a different story. When he started participating, cancer was something that had affected some distant friends and family members, but it had not yet become a significant part of our lives. However, over the years, cancer became more prevalent and began taking away people close to us. Two years ago, it hit as close to home as it could when our dad, Gary, was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
Despite the challenges, the Bunnewith family is strong and does not back down from a fight. Dad fought hard for two years until he lost the battle on April 14th. We lost the greatest man we knew - the best father, coach, mentor, teacher, and friend. But his light shines on, and we carry on his legacy.
I won't have my dad to walk me down the aisle at my wedding, to teach my children how to fish or name the stars, or to hug me the next time I make him proud. But instead of giving up, I am determined to keep fighting against cancer so that someday, we won't have to worry about losing the ones we love too soon. Because every life is precious, and every moment we have with our loved ones is a gift. And I want to honor my dad's memory by doing everything I can to make sure that no one else has to go through what our family did.
Although riding almost 200 miles in the dog days of New England summer will be hard, nothing will ever be as hard as those days that surrounded losing our dad. But I am determined to keep going, to keep fighting, and to honor his memory. Because I know that he would want us to keep pushing ourselves, to keep striving for a better tomorrow.
