By Megan Alderman-Person
The Cycle for Survival event returned to the Greenwich Equinox for its fifth year on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Cycle for Survival is an annual series of indoor team cycling events aimed at beating rare cancers. The cycling events take place across the country in February and March, but fundraising kicks off in September.
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center owns and operates Cycle for Survival, and 100 percent of the funds raised are allocated to support rare cancer research, clinical trials, and large-scale research initiatives. About half of all cancer patients are fighting some form of rare cancer, which includes thyroid, brain, ovarian, pancreatic, all pediatric cancers and many others.
Kristen James, an Equinox regional group fitness director and one of the instructors for Cycle for Survival, instructed the afternoon rides in Greenwich on Sunday. She has been participating in Cycle for Survival for seven years, but her passion for the event grew when her father was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor four years ago and passed away six months later.
James said when her father was a patient at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the only options for treatment were chemotherapy and radiation.
“[The doctor] said not enough people have brain tumors, so they don’t have enough money to really research it,” James said. “They treated my father with such dignity and respect that it’s the least I can do to raise money for those doctors.”
This is the fifth time Cycle for Survival has taken place at the Greenwich Equinox, but 2017 marks the 11th anniversary of the first Cycle for Survival event held in New York City. Since 2007, the event has expanded from one ride in New York City to including rides in 16 cities with more than 31,000 riders and over 200,000 donors.
“Not only is it a community of people working and raising money, but it gathers so much energy and it brings people together for a good six months,” James said. “The day is just to celebrate that and all the hard work [the participants] put into it.”
The event has created a community for many cancer patients and their loved ones. After her mother lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2013, Heather Northrop started seeing Cycle for Survival as an outlet for her and her family to actively fight back against cancer by helping to fund research. Northrop has been participating in Cycle for Survival for six years.
“It’s just a lot of energy and a lot of fun… in the face of such a tragedy and such a difficult topic,” Northrop said. “I think everyone in the room just brings so much passion to their rides and the excitement is really palpable.”
Northrop’s team, Team Teal, is named for the color that represents ovarian cancer. She said not only does Cycle for Survival allow Team Teal to honor and pay tribute to her mother, but it also allows them to feel united with other patients, survivors and supporters.
During last year’s Greenwich Cycle for Survival ride, Northrop noticed that one of the speakers, Dr. Rachel N. Grisham, was working on her fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering when Northrop’s mother was a patient there. Grisham is now a medical oncologist. She recognized Northrop and shared that the funds they raised were helping to make progress in their research on a rare type of ovarian cancer.
Cycle for Survival has raised more than 120 million dollars for research since 2007. In 2016 alone, they raised 30 million dollars.
“It really, for me, was a justification in what Cycle for Survival is doing and that by participating in this, we’re really making progress and real changes are being made, Northrop said. “That’s why I ride, in memory of my mom, but also so that one day, more battles will be won and more lives will be saved.”
For James, she looks forward to seeing one of the participants—a cancer survivor—whom she met through Cycle for Survival about five years ago. As James was instructing during one of the events, she noticed a young girl, about four years old, in the crowd of riders. James found out she was battling cancer, so she picked her up and invited her on stage to help cheer on the participants. James said the same girl returns every year and is now in remission.
“I started crying tears of happiness that this girl, who is now so big I can’t carry her anymore, is healthy and she goes to school and is in remission,” James said. “What we’re doing is helping somebody like that.”
Anyone can get involved by donating on the Cycle for Survival website or by stopping by to show support during the rides. Visit Cycleforsurvival.org to learn more and inquire about setting up a team next year.
