The bike rides are intense — especially on the weekends — as Lunenburg resident Ana Lockwood rides 90 miles in one day alone.

    But Lockwood is not doing this for an athletic event or because of her love of biking. She is preparing for the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), an annual bike-a-thon, which raises money for treatment of cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund.

    “This is not an athletic event,” Lockwood said. “It is about raising money for something that I believe in.”

    The bike-a-thon, in its 31st year, has raised $270 million, according to the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge Web site.

    Lockwood said while the training seems intimidating at first, it is nothing compared to what her nephew, Ethan, experienced battling an acute form of leukemia at the age of 6.

    At one point when she stopped for food while training, Lockwood told herself, “I am going to finish this. You don’t lose sight of [the importance]. You never forget why you are doing it.”

    The Lunenburg resident, who moved to the area in 2005, said she trains four times a week, reserving her most intense rides for the weekends.

    Lockwood said when she gets tired, she immediately thinks of Ethan and that motivates her to continue on.

    “Ethan went through so much worse than I am doing now,” she said she tells herself when she is training. “I can do this.”

    Ethan went through a tough battle with leukemia as his family learned that because of his acute form of cancer, he had to have a bone marrow transplant to survive.

    While Ethan’s brother was a match — who enabled him to get a transplant — it was not an easy recovery, as he developed pneumonia waiting in the hospital for the transplant. And then later, he also had a mild stroke after receiving medicine for his heart.

    “He had to live in seclusion for eight months,” Lockwood explained.

    Now three years later, at the age of 9, Ethan is cancer free, Lockwood says, because of the bone marrow transplant, which she credits with saving his life.

    But, she explained, Ethan still has to go to the Jimmy Fund clinic twice a year to do exams.

    Lockwood’s first ride is symbolic and important to her, as she says adamantly that finding a cure for all cancers is possible.

    “Ethan was successful, [but] he wouldn’t have survived had it been 10 years ago,” Lockwood said, as her nephew’s recovery is a result of funding for the Jimmy Fund.

    The Jimmy Fund supports cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
    Lockwood has raised $3,700, but hopes to raise $6,000 for the challenge.

    According to the Pan-Mass Challenge Web site: “Cyclists will travel from 36 states and eight countries to ride in PMC 2010 … with more than 300 riders [who are] cancer survivors or current patients.”

    Approximately 5,000 cyclists are expected to take part in this year’s challenge, on Aug. 7 and 8.

Living proof

    Like it was yesterday, George French remembers when his grandson, Gibson McKay Latouche, was diagnosed with leukemia.

    It was 1998. French said a Fitchburg doctor spotted the problem early in the three-year-old’s life and sent Gibson to the Children’s Hospital in Boston for treatment. Gibson’s treatments included several sessions of chemotherapy at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

    French said he was particularly impressed with how professional and caring the people at the cancer institute were.

    “Gibson is living proof of the wonderful things the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber do,” he said. “He is alive because of what they did.”

    Now 12 years later, Gibson is a “thriving 15-year-old high school freshman (soon to be a sophomore) with an unbroken honor-roll record,” French said.

    In addition to his academic achievements, Gibson is also on the track team, specializing in the long jump and the 200-and 400-meter runs, according to French.

    Since his grandson was diagnosed, in 1998, French began taking part in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge. So far, his team, Team Gibson, has raised a total of $91,082 over the past 11 years.         
    This will be French’s 12th year riding.

    French said the Dana Farber Institute has done important things, in especially playing a part, among other cancer centers, in helping improve the cure rate for childhood leukemia, up to 94 percent.

    “The cure rate is so high that the Make-A-Wish Foundation no longer grants kids wishes who are diagnosed with leukemia,” French said. “There has been huge progress over the last 12 years.”

    Of all the years he has taken part in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, French says he is moved by the volunteers and the community’s support when he is out riding.

    The “participation of the public is unbelievable,” French said.

    He added that it gives him a boost when he is riding and sees people with signs out on the front lawns, people blowing bubbles over the road and people rooting for TeamGibson when “your legs are killing you.”

    French said he begins training for the challenge in May in which he rides approximately 60 miles a week, but he said he is trying to get up to 100 miles a week.

    French and Lockwood are not the only two Lunenburg riders who will be taking part in this year’s Pan-Mass Challenge. Lunenburg residents Michael Archambeault,  Rachel Gabriel and  Janice Testagrossa will also be joining them on Aug. 7 and 8.

    For those interested in contributing to TeamGibson, Lockwood or to any of the other Lunenburg Pan-Mass riders, visit the Pan-Mass Challenge Web site pmc.org.

    For more on Ana Lockwood and her Pan-Mass Challenge story, visit Ana’s YouTube Web site  and watch her PMC Story video, “Why I Ride...” at:   youtube.com/watch?v=thCVN3T0G-Y