Doylestown Resident Rides 300 Miles To Support Cancer Research

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Doylestown resident Matt Stella recently completed a 300-mile bike ride to support the fight against multiple myeloma in honor of his longtime friend who passed away from the disease.

Stella participated in the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation’s Road to Victories bike ride, which took place in late September.

During the six-day ride, Stella rode 300 miles throughout New England and over the boarder to Quebec, Canada. The ride was sponsored by Janssen Oncology; Stella is an employee at the pharmaceutical company.

Stella got involved in the cause in honor of his longtime friend, Greg, who in 2015 at the age of 43 died from the disease, which is cancer of the plasma cells.

He joined 30 riders, including patients, their family and friends, physicians, Janssen employees and members of the MMRF, to raise money for the cause. Together, the group raised $425,000.

Stella said the death of his friend, who he knew since he was a baby, had a big impact on him.

Over the years, he had done what he could to honor his memory. When he joined the Janssen Oncology team and MMRF was one of the key partners, he knew immediately he wanted to be a part of the Road to Victories ride.

"I knew I needed to be part of it, not only to honor his memory but to do something to make a difference in the fight against cancer," Stella said.

Stella, who is also training for a marathon, spent months preparing for the bike ride. And still, "it was one of the most challenging physical events I had ever done in my life."

But it was all worth it. "It really was an incredibly humbling experience," Stella said, adding he plans to do it again next year.

So far, Stella has exceeded his goal of raising $5,000. If you'd like to support him, you can visit his fundraising page here.