Chestnut Hill Woman Fights Cancer, Rides in Pan-Mass Challenge

Three years ago, Elizabeth Dowd started riding in the annual Pan-Mass Challenge as a tribute to her late brother. Soon, however, the ride would take on an even greater personal meaning.

Dowd was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma two years ago while pregnant with her third child, but that has not stopped her. This weekend, the Chestnut Hill resident is back for her third ride, despite the cancer.

"When I was pregnant with Nicholas (her youngest child, now 1 ½), I got sick in the fall, right around the time the swine flu broke out, and I started feeling just lousy," said Dowd, via telephone. "I remember going on the internet and seeing the headlines about swine flu. Murphy's Law would have it that the pregnant woman would get swine flu. I would feel better for a week, then feel lousy again. My glands were swollen, and then I felt a lump in my neck. Given my family history, I was real concerned about it."

Dowd's only sibling, brother Jonathan, passed away in 2002 at the age of 34 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Her brother remains one of the main reasons she rides the PMC.

After taking her concerns to the doctor, a biopsy was performed on Dowd and over the July 4^th weekend in 2009, she heard the results.

"I got the phone call from my doctor…[the doctor said] 'the results of the biopsy came back, and you've got cancer'."

"Yes, it was a shock, especially given my condition of being pregnant. There was a lot of uncertainty there. There was a lot of uncertainty for the kids, knowing my brother's history," Dowd said. "The day I had to call my parents. That was one of the one the worst phone calls to make."

Despite her cancer, Dowd keeps riding and remains upbeat about her condition. While she has needed any treatment for her cancer, Dowd suspects she will need some in the future.

"The cancer that I have is a very slow-growing cancer. That was sort of the good news in this scenario particularly (with) both brother and I had (fallen) into the category of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma," she said.

Dowd intends to ride for one of the two days – from Sturbridge to Bourne – a distance of 110 miles. The two-day ride covers about 190 miles.

The Pan-Mass Challenge is expected to attract about 5,000 riders for the August 6-7 ride, with 154 registered from Newton. Last year, the Challenge raised $33 million for the Jimmy Fund at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

But the idea of biking wasn't something that came naturally to Dowd, a native of Newport, R.I.

"Growing up I was like the classic bookish, nerdy kid. I was the stereotypical chubby smart kid. As I got older and particularly once my brother got sick, I really need to…take care of myself," she said. "That's when I started exercising more. It just progressed."

Dowd had done two-day rides previously at the PMC in 2008 and 2010, but wanted to be able to spend more time with her family instead of devoting the training required to ride for two days. She also understood the importance of not over-exerting herself.

Dowd's training for the PMC has consisted of longer rides on the weekends, sometimes with her husband John, who also is riding. Their longest ride this year was about 80 miles, Dowd said.

The two raise money and ride as part of a team called Team Longevity. With a minimum requirement of $3,000 for her part of the ride, Dowd says the team collectively has raised almost $22,000.

"We do the best we can," she said, regarding fundraising. "We talk to family and friends. We email people. This year, we organized a cocktail party that we organized in June. We had about 50 people."

Not only is Dowd a believer in the Pan-Mass Challenge, she's also passionate about the work of the Jimmy Fund.

"It's incredibly well organized. During the course of riding my first year, (what kept) coming back into my head (was) this is the most important thing apart from having my children that I've ever done. The sense of community and the sense of purpose that these thousands of people bring to the event are super. It's an easy thing to get on a bike, but the people who do the PMC just bring it onto a whole new level…There's real engagement there."

"I know so many people who either they themselves have had cancer or their family members have had cancer," said Dowd, who teaches yoga part time. "I want to be around for my kids' milestones."