A Yale-New Haven Smilow Cancer Hospital employee was planning to ride in her second Closer to Free.
But an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis this summer is preventing Heather Gagnon from getting on bike next month.
“I’m 34, so wouldn’t have had a mammogram until I’m 40,” Heather told NBC Connecticut. “So I’m very happy I found it early, but definitely shocking to find out, definitely.”
Heather rode for 25 miles in her first ride in September 2016.
“The energy and the feeling in the air,” she said, “the one word I can think of is hope.”
Heather’s twin sister Crystal Gagnon was there to cheer her on.
"I was really proud of her,” Crystal said. “She’s not an athletic person at all.”
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This year Heather had plans to push herself to pedal for 62.5 miles.
“Unfortunately, I felt a lump and found out on June 2nd I had breast cancer,” she said.
Halfway through her chemotherapy treatment, Heather won’t be able to ride this year.
“At that point I knew, I’m like Crystal you got to take over for her,” Crystal said, “you got to do it, she’s my twin, I love her and you know it means a lot, the ride means a lot to her and it means a lot to me and even more so cause I’m doing it for her.”
“Great feeling cause I was very upset that I couldn’t do it this year,” Heather said. “It means a lot to me that she would ride for me.”
With pink streaks in her hair, Crystal is by her sister’s side as she battles breast cancer.
“How’s your training going?” NBC Connecticut asked Crystal.
“Good, it's going,” she said, “getting used to it. I’m not a biker, I’ve never done it before.”
But these twin sisters already have their sights set on riding together.
“My goal next year is she’s going to ride with me and we’re going to both do the 62 miles,” Heather said, “next year that’s my goal, definitely.”
All of the money raised for Closer to Free supports patient care and research at the Yale-New Haven Smilow Cancer Hospital.
This week at the Connecticut Open, some of the women’s tennis players and men’s legend are taking a spin on a bike to raise money for Smilow.
