#WhyIPMC guest blog by Stephanie Taylor, 1st-year PMC Winter Cycle, 1-year PMC Living Proof Rider - Team Duncan team member

In the summer of 2023, while still undergoing treatment for breast cancer, I rode in my first Pan-Mass Challenge. When I joined Team Duncan last year, I had no idea the impact the team, the story of Duncan, and the PMC experience would have on my life as a patient and a survivor. I met an incredible group of people and enjoyed the most magical first Pan-Mass Challenge experience. In September, my kids joined Team Duncan to ride in a PMC Kids Ride, as we continue to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Fund at DFCI. Since then, I have completed my year of treatment and had my reconstructive surgery and I'm ready to ride again!

My freshman year of high school, I was an average 14 year old girl. I spent a lot of time with my 4 siblings, I danced every day at my Mothers dance school, and I played goalkeeper competitively on 2 different soccer teams. While playing winter season, I took a soccer ball to the stomach leading to 2 months of pain, bruising and fatigue. Originally written off as a sports injury, ultimately led my parents and I to Boston Children’s Hospital and a final diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.