UPMC cancer doctor invites patients to bicycle in the Rush to Crush Cancer benefit
Dr. Mounzer Agha asks his patients the normal questions of a physician, but there’s one additional inquiry he’s been making.
“I have been talking to my patients about bike riding,” said Agha, director of the Mario Lemieux Center for Blood Cancers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside. “Being a physician is about more than just seeing patients for those 15 minutes in the office. It’s about sharing life together, getting to know each other.”
The Fox Chapel resident and several patients will get to know each other a little better when they journey 15 miles in the first PNC Presents Rush to Crush Cancer ride on May 20 throughout the city of Pittsburgh. The event is to raise money for cancer research at the Hillman Cancer Center. There are three distance options — 15, 40 or 60 miles. Agha chose the shortest one because it’s on a closed course.
For the longer distances, roads will be closed for the first 12 miles and then riders will be sharing the roads with motor vehicles. There is also a survivors walk. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is event chair — he lost his young cousin Mya to cancer.
When Agha first heard about the event, he set out to invite as many people as he could to get on their bikes.
“This ride is going to be phenomenal,” said Agha, an avid bike rider who has traveled from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail. “I hope it will continue to grow each year. Pittsburgh is a biking city with wonderful trails and bike lanes. Biking connects people.”
One of the patients he connected with through biking is Brien Warshel.
The two had known each other professionally before Warshel sought a second opinion from Agha. Warshel is a retired pharmacist from Johnstown. Warshel was diagnosed in 2009 at age 42 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. That same year in July, he went to the Tour de France to see Lance Armstrong compete. He and his best friend from college biked part of the course.
When Warshel met Agha, his demeanor was calm and reminded Warshel of how his wife, Kelly, a hospice physician, treats patients with care, he said.
“The coolest thing about Dr. Agha is the first time I saw him, he put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘You will be fine,’ ” Warshel said. “He has such a wonderful personality for the job. He is compassionate.”
It was during a recent appointment the bike ride came up in conversation. They learned they were both at the Tour de France in 2009.
Warshel immediately said he would come to the event.
“I thought he was going to come and watch and cheer, but then he and I started comparing cycling notes,” Agha said. “This bike ride and sports in general connect people. The ride is taking all of us on the same path. Cycling is an endurance sport, and I find in cancer patients it can help them through the rigorous treatment. It’s a good coping mechanism.”
Brien and Kelly Warshel plan to do the 40-mile distance. Warshel said he’s riding because he can – which he couldn’t do for a time when his treatments weren’t working. He will also have the support of family members and friends.
“Life is too short,” said Warshel, who retired from owning Johnstown Pharmacy for 22 years. “More time to bike. I want to help other people by competing in this race. The research is so important.”
VisitPittsburgh CEO Jerad Bachar is also riding the 40-mile course to honor a family member with cancer. He said the organizer, P3R, is a vital part of the city and hosts several events a year. Bachar said Pittsburgh has a great infrastructure for cycling.
The ride is personal for Ann Regan, executive director of the event. She watched her best friend, a mother of three three sons, lose her husband and their father to brain cancer.
“I saw the love and care she gave to him. Her losing the love of her life and those boys losing their dad broke my heart,” said Regan. “Cancer has no boundaries. We need to find a cure for all cancers. I wanted to do something to help other families not have to go through this.”
Regan, of McCandless, hopes the community-based ride and walk will attract 1,500 participants — riders and walkers.
“We welcome everyone,” said Regan. “This is a way to get out and support each other and raise money for research.”
The idea for the event came from the leadership team at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. The thought was to do something different than a traditional gala. The pandemic slowed things a bit but it gained momentum through a $1.5 million donation from cancer survivor Brian Shanahan and his wife, Karen, Regan said. The 15-mile is named after the Shanahans. The various lengths were created to accommodate riders of all ages and skill levels. Riders will cruise through some of the city’s neighborhoods.
The majority of the courses are flat — as flat as they can be being in Pittsburgh, Regan said.
“This might the first time someone is on a bike or the first time in a while that they’ve ridden so we wanted to give them choices,” Regan said. “It will be a cool way to see the city while on a bike and with the roads closed to traffic.”
The walk and rides begin and end at Stage AE on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. There will be a village of children’s activities in and around the venue with music and food options.
She said the plan is to make it an annual event held the same weekend.
“When talking about the cancer journey, it’s not just about the patient,” said Regan. “Their support group and caregivers are also an integral part of this journey.”
Regan said the UPMC Hillman Cancer is led by the best doctors, nurses and staff who genuinely care for each patient and their families. She said people come from across the U.S. for treatment.
“Every time I walk in the UPMC Hillman Cancer center, the doctors and nurses and everyone there greets me with a smile,” she said. “You just want to help them because they help so many people.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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