By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer

For eight years, Douglas’ Lisa Parella participated in the Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund walk; 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston in memory of her father who had passed away and her mother who had gone through chemo and radiation for cancer. Unfortunately, last December Parella had to go through her sixth foot surgery and there would be no more long distance walking in her future.

Four years ago, her daughter-in-law lost her mother to cancer and two years later her daughters-in-law’s father rode the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) in his wife’s memory for the first time. This year the two would ride together. Being the 25th anniversary of her father’s passing and the 12th year of her mother’s remission Parella decided that she would join her family members in the region’s most prestigious fundraising event.

 “Growing up in Wellesley, the marathon was a big part of my life and we watched it every year,” Parella said. “I knew that I could never run a marathon, but being able to walk it was something that I could do and it was an awesome way to be able to back them. The Dana Farber Jimmy Fund walk is very similar to the PMC just with different routes.”

Parella rode along with her family members this past August and while they were much quicker than she was, the Douglas resident was able to finish the 182-mile ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown despite being much slower.

 “Riding the PMC was much more different that I ever thought,” she said. “I had bought a stationary bike and a used bike to ride when I could and get ready for the PMC. I probably should have done more in terms of training, but a lot of nay sayers gave me all the motivation that I needed.”

As she hopped on her bike alongside some 6000 plus other riders she found herself somewhat nervous as she was unsure of what to expect and if she could even make it to the first water station taking part in the 182-mile two-day excursion through several Massachusetts towns and onto the Cape. 

Not only did she not know what was going to happen as she began her first PMC ride, she and the other riders were finding out it was going to turn out to be a rather hot day one.

 “A lot of the people along the routes were saying that it was a difficult year with the heat and humidity, but I was able to make it to the first water stop and was very impressed with myself. It was here that I said to myself ‘you can do this,’ ’’ she said. “The next leg of the ride had a lot of hills and was very difficult and I started to slow down, but I didn’t stop and kept pushing.”

By the time that she pulled into Bourne concluding the end of day one, Parella said that she was not feeling bad leg wise and her body was still strong; the only thing she wishes she could have done differently was consume more calories that night.

 “It was so hot that I really didn’t want to eat and didn’t eat too much that night in Bourne,” she said. “Come Sunday, I would find that was a mistake as I was dragging, but I ended up making it and despite all the rumors about the Cape being flat, that’s a lie, there were a lot of hills.”

Overall, Parella was glad that she took part in the Pan-Mass Challenge to help all those people inflicted with cancer.

 “It was wonderful and awful; amazing but torture, but I loved being a part of the PMC culture,” Parella said. “There were so many people on the route very supportive and over the top, everyone was absolutely tremendous. A lot of the riders that passed by me would see my name on the back of my jersey and that it was my first year and they too would give me support – the entire event was amazing.”

While she did make it the entire 182-miles Parella is not saying that she will be getting on her bike again come next August, at least not yet.

 “I can’t say yes or no at this time,” she said. “I’d have to be a lot stronger than I was this year and be able to train more than the three months I did this year, due to my surgery.”

That sounds like a “yes” to becoming a part of the PMC, an event that raises funds for cancer research and treatment at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Together they will all help the foundation get closer by the mile to a world without cancer. According to the PMC, this is what a bike was meant to do and Parella will most likely be a part of it.