By Paul Silverfarb
Sentinel Editor
Two years ago, Ashley Welde’s cancer diagnosis changed her life in a way she never could have imagined. However, courtesy of Cycle for Survival, Welde is doing her part to make sure that rare cancers are a thing of the past, one bike pedal at a time.
Welde, along with her team, Red Riders from the ‘Hood, took part in the Cycle for Survival’s quest to beat rare cancers, on March 4 at Equinox Greenwich.
“As someone that’s gone through it, you just want to do anything that you can to increase the number of options for people with rare cancers,” Welde said. “Cycle for Survival is the movement that focuses on all these rare cancers. So, just having the opportunity to be a part of saving lives and making it less scary for people who will be diagnosed in the future is the biggest motivator for me.”
On March 4, Welde’s team, along with other teams and riders from Greenwich and the surrounding areas, hopped on spin bikes at Equinox Greenwich to raise both funds and awareness for rare cancers. The event lasted for four hours, and all people, regardless of their fitness level or spinning experience, had a blast.
Which is good because Welde admits that she’s not an expert when it comes to spinning.
“I’m not a spin person, but it’s such a high-energy event that I think riding the bike for an hour, which I did, you’re not even thinking about it” Welde said. “There’s so much adrenaline, so much positive energy, people are dancing around, and the instructors are incredible. Everybody is a part of a team, with family, friends and colleagues. And there’s no pressure to go as hard as you can. I’m not a spinner and pedal at my leisure, but I enjoy being there. It’s not a competitive event and it’s more about the sharing of energy and being really positive about things.”
And for Equinox President and CEO Scott Rosen, it’s always an honor to be the host of the Cycle for Survival event.
“I could not be more proud of the commitment and passion the teams at Equinox demonstrate to make each one of the Cycle for Survival events happen throughout the year,” said Rosen. “The [March 4] ride at Equinox Greenwich was tremendous and the energy was contagious. It is this energy that inspires us to go all in, to make each year the best yet.”
Welde and her team, Red Riders from the ‘Hood, started with a goal of raising $15,000, and they successfully achieved their goal, netting $17,003 as of press time.
For Welde, Cycle for Survival has become close to her heart due to her fight with a rare cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma. She was diagnosed in January of 2016 with Cholangiocarcinoma, which is also called bile duct cancer.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Cholangiocarcinoma, a very rare tumor that is difficult to treat, forms in the bile ducts that carry the digestive fluid bile. The bile ducts connect the liver to the gallbladder and small intestines.
Welde said that she never heard of Cholangiocarcinoma before and no clue what to expect.
“I was one of the very few fortunate people that was a candidate for surgery,” Welde said. “It was a very complicated surgery, where I had 80% of my liver removed and my gallbladder just to get to the tumor and have it removed.”
After the surgery, Welde underwent six months of chemotherapy, just to make sure that every molecule of the cancer was gone.
“In going through this process, you’re introduced to a whole world of rare cancers that you were never familiar with before and you realize how many new options there are for people who have rare cancer,” Welde said.
Welde learned about Cycle for Survival because she received emails from a few of her friends that were riding in the event for friends or family members. She saw that those people were promoting the Cycle for Survival movement and quickly reached out and mentioned how she would love to be a part of it.
“It makes you feel like you’re not alone,” Welde said. “I reached out to those friends and said that I would love to do this next year. They suggested we make a team ourselves and luckily I had a dozen friends join this team and put all this effort out to raise money for me, as well as other family members. It meant a lot to see that people were willing to go out and fundraise for me to try and make a difference, not just for me but for others.”
In total, there were 16 cities, including Greenwich, that hosted an event. Some of those cities were New York City; Seattle, Wash.; Chicago, Ill.; Miami, Fla., Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Dallas, Texas. Nationally, the goal was for Cycle for Survival to raise $34 million this year. Mission accomplished. As of press time Cycle for Survival has nationally raised close to $39 million.
