Red Sox Foundation executive director ready to "feel the magic" of Pan-Mass Challenge for first time
BOSTON - Bekah Salwasser will have a completely new perspective of the Pan-Mass Challenge this year.
The Jimmy Fund, which raises money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute first teamed up with the Red Sox in 1953. It is now the longest standing relationship between a professional sports team and a non-profit hospital.
In 2002, the Red Sox Foundation fielded its first Pan-Mass Challenge team-Team 9.
"Magic of the ride"
This year Salwasser, the Red Sox Foundation's executive director and its executive vice president of social impact will ride her first PMC with Team 9.
"I think it's time for me to feel the magic of the ride," Salwasser said.
She calls it a privilege to leverage the team's platform to support Dana-Farber and the researchers whose work is saving lives.
Salwasser has participated in Winter Cycle, the PMC's spin fundraiser (which takes place at Fenway Park), served on the PMC Advisory Board and is now on the organization's Board of Directors.
Training for the Pan-Mass Challenge
What is new for this lifelong athlete is the personal challenge of an endurance event.
Salwasser, a Boston native, played soccer as a child and teenager, as a Division 1 athlete at Brown University, and as a pro on the Boston Breakers. She is used to 90-minute games once a week.
"This will be an interesting challenge for me to have. Two-day ride that's so endurance-focused, that's group-focused and riding against a fundraising challenge. I'm just excited for all angles of it," Salwasser said.
She has found joy in training for the ride and the state of "flow" she experiences on her bike.
"The transition from soccer to cycling has been shockingly easy, which is such a blessing," Salwasser said.
Finishing the Pan-Mass Challenge
While the PMC is a ride, not a race, Salwasser admitted she can't help competing, even with herself. In training for the 163-mile Wellesley-to-Provincetown route, she occasionally finds herself riding fast.
"I'm gonna have to try to dial it back," Salwasser said.
She anticipates sharing a sense of accomplishment at the finish line with the other riders and a special moment with her husband Zak and their three children. Calvin, Niko and Evie will be waiting for her in Provincetown.
Salwasser said they often tell her they want to ride with her.
"I don't think they have a sense how long the ride is and how hard the ride is and how competitive Mom is. But they're really excited for me," Salwasser said.
The thought of hugging them at the end of the ride will be a special reward.