#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!

It all started about 5 years ago when I was diagnosed with Stage 2B Bulky Hodgkins lymphoma at the age of 45. I was very fortunate to find an amazing team of doctors and nurses at Dana Farber, a place that I still call home even to this day even when Im only visiting once a year. I knew that once I beat this, I wanted to be able to give back to this amazing "family" that I am now a part of. 

Just 8 years ago (in December 2011) I was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and began my journey to remission and recover at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  Less than a year after my journey began, I rode in my first PMC from Sturbridge to Provincetown.  Since then I have participated in the PMC 6 more times as well as my first Winter Cycle in 2019 and have raised over $124,000.

In April of 2007, as an otherwise healthy and active 28 year old, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Thanks to decades of investment this cancer is eminently treatable and curable, and after 6 months of chemotherapy and radiation I was cancer free, and have been fortunate to remain so over the last decade plus. In that 12 year span I was fortunate to discover the singular true joy in life, becoming a father to my wonderful son Sean. A few generations ago that would not have been possible for me.

Why I PMC? 

My original reason for riding was to raise some money for cancer research, but as the years have gone by my intentions have become very personal. As so many people can agree most everyone has been touched by cancer. Friends, family, community members, but this year my focus changed when the 3 year old son of a friend was diagnosed with brain cancer and in the middle of his treatment his mother, Lisa forty years old was diagnosed with breast cancer. All of a sudden two thirds of their sweet family were battling cancer!