News 2018: Professor rides in Pan-Mass Challenge to increase awareness

Associate Professor Andrew Revell rode in the Pan-Mass Challenge to raise money and understanding

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth academic minor program director for Aging and Health and the Ora M. DeJesus Gerontology Center Director Andrew Revell rode in his first Pan-Mass Challenge on August 5^th to raise money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute. The Pan-Mass Challenge is a bike-a-thon with multiple routes across Massachusetts, which had a record number of registered riders (6,341) from 43 states, 10 countries, and over 4,000 volunteers in 2018.

Revell undertook the ride to demonstrate that exercise and recreation can benefit all - including older adults who may not have full mobility. “One of the main goals for the Ora M. DeJesus Center for Gerontology is to advance practical approaches for older adults to improve their health and wellbeing,” said Revell. “Exercise is key, and you don’t have to be an Olympics-level cyclist to get out and ride.”

Participating as a volunteer and as a rider, Revell rode the newest route from Wellesley to Foxboro using a three-wheeled bicycle called a recumbent trike. Recumbent trikes provide a cycling alternative for those who prefer a relaxed seated position, for those recovering from injuries, or who are differently-abled. How to age successfully and through chronic health is one of the courses in the popular Aging and Health (AGH) academic minor program. Revell dedicated the ride to friends and to his father who was diagnosed last year with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL; or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), which is increasingly common in late adulthood.

100% of rider-raised revenue through October 1^st goes directly to support the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's tireless commitment to finding a cure. More information is available at https://www.pmc.org/