I'm fundraising for Texas 4000! My grandfather is quite simply one of the best people that I have ever encountered and he is the main reason why I joined T4K! Throughout my lifetime, he played such an essential role in the formation of my personality as he introduced me to sports. It started with baseball as he was a generational Red Sox fan, and his family had personal ties to the team which amazed 6 year old me, when I started playing softball he supported me in every way he could. He introduced me to my favorite baseball player David Ortiz, and while we never got to see a game together, Ortiz did hit his 500th home run in the peak of my grandpa’s battle with cancer and it really hit close to home. It was a special bond that we had, being the only true red sox fans in our family and because of it, we became the best of friends. It was our bond that helped me through my family’s move from London to Chicago when I had very few friends. Unfortunately, a month after my family moved to Chicago, my gampa’s cancer came back; he had previously battled cancer and recovered well after his surgery. 5 years later his health really declined and he became very frail and fatigued all of a sudden by the time he went to the doctor to get it checked out it was too late- his cancer had actually spread to other organs in his stomach and he was too far along in the prognosis for his organs to be treated. In light of the tragic news my family moved back to Canada for a bit and sat by his bedside every day until he passed. It was heartbreaking to experience and watch my family go through. He is the reason why I ride, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without him, and my journey with T4K can only shed so much light on the impact he had on me. Gampa was my best friend, and not a day goes by where I don’t think of him. So I remember him in every cardinal I see, every Red Sox game I watch, through milestones like Tom Brady retiring and David Ortiz getting inducted into the MLB hall of fame, and every day when I put my left shoe on before my right shoe. I will never forget our shared love of sports- so I chose to ride for him and honor his memory every day.

My aunt Tracey passed when I was 5 years old, and while I didn’t know her long, the impact that she left on my family is irreplaceable. Her battle with cancer was very short, as she passed within 2 months of her diagnosis of brain cancer. She had a very rare form of brain cancer that went unnoticed until it was too late for treatment. She loved to travel and was shamelessly herself which is something that I try to reflect on every day. She was the light of my family, but we continue every day in her honor. In fact, my grandfather also took over the harvest half marathon in Calgary after my aunt Tracey passed. Our family organized the race for 10 years and allocated funds to the Tracey Flagg memorial fund in honor of my aunt. My gampa was so selfless in doing this and this is one of the main reasons why I chose to pursue T4K as I view it as the best way that I can honor him, by similarly following in his footsteps. Being introduced to the race at such a young age changed my perspective on life immensely, and I would give anything to have that time volunteering with my gampa back. So when I found out about T4K it seemed like my fate to join the organization.

I also ride for my paternal grandfather’s battle with dementia. It was extremely hard to see him fight it for so long and eventually succumb to the illness. He was an incredibly hard-working and driven man and seeing him so weak in his final years was really sad. So not only do I ride for him, but I also ride for both of my grandmother’s who have been so resilient and strong as our family tries to continue on. My uncle Mario passed a few years after my grandfather from cancer, and he was just one of the smartest most brilliant people I ever met, so I ride for him and the positive influence he was on my family.
Lastly, I ride for my friends and family and all of their loved ones who have been affected by cancer. I can’t explain what this cause means to me in just my why I ride but feel free to follow along my journey to ride with me as we fight cancer every mile.

To Alaska and back,
Your friend Bella.