How a cross-country bike ride became a cornerstone of our patient-centric culture

As Bristol Myers Squibb celebrates our annual cross-country cycling fundraiser initiative, I’m taking a look back on a decade of our coast-to-coast fight against cancer and why I am more motivated and inspired by our people, and their dedication to patients, than ever before.

?

Ten years ago, a few of my Bristol Myers Squibb colleagues came up with an idea to exemplify our company’s commitment to fighting cancer through a charitable cycling event we called Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer (C2C4C). This event started with 53 employees who rode 3,000 miles across the United States to raise funds for cancer research and to honor their loved ones impacted by cancer. Since then, this event has grown into a hallmark of our culture and our zeal for serving patients fighting cancer.

?

This year, we had more than 350 global colleagues in 23 countries participate in the ride (now called Country 2 Country 4 Cancer and Continent to Continent 4 Cancer), covering more than 6,000 miles to raise money (to date, more than $14 million) and remember those who’ve fought and those who continue to fight this dreadful disease.

?

My first year participating in C2C4C was in 2017. At that time I hadn’t been on a bike in over 20 years, but I still remember the excitement (and nerves) I felt during that first ride from Kansas City to Indianapolis. I was excited about the physical and mental challenge, the camaraderie and teamwork, but something about this ride felt different — it was different. It meant more, it was purposeful, and it took place alongside dozens of people I worked with every day. I recall in the days and hours leading up to the ride many colleagues sharing their “why” for riding. For some it was in memory of a family member they lost to cancer. For others it was for a close friend battling this disease. For me, I rode for my father-in-law who had recently passed away from lung cancer. But for all of us, it was for our patients — the ones we serve today and the ones we hope will benefit from the future scientific innovations we’re working to deliver.

?

I’ve participated in multiple C2C4C rides since that first year. I’ve also been able to ride for my mom, who is a two-time breast cancer survivor. Every year presents an opportunity to meet new riders and hear new stories for why they ride, and every year, I gain a newfound respect for my fellow employees and a deeper appreciation for how this ride reflects so many aspects of our work at Bristol Myers Squibb.

?

This year, I rode the “Gateway 4 Cancer” leg, traveling across the Midwest and finishing in St. Louis. This ride took us through the Heartland of America, with many hours spent on long quiet roads through farmland and rural communities far from the nearest metropolitan area. During some of these moments, I found myself thinking about the people who lived in the homes and on the farms I was passing. How many of them were patients fighting a serious disease like cancer? How did living in a remote, rural part of the country — or the world — impact their access to get the medical care they needed? It reminded me that we have a critical responsibility to ensure our medicines reach the people who need them no matter where they are.

?

Another aspect of the ride I always embrace is the physical and mental challenge that comes with a long-range ride like C2C4C. No matter how many years I’ve spent on my bike, every ride presents a new challenge, whether it be steep terrain, weather conditions, mechanical issues — there is always adversity to overcome, and the ability to focus on the mission and maintain mental toughness is key to reaching the finish line. Through all the ups and downs, it’s important to keep working, keep pedaling, to dig deep and find the reason to continue pushing forward; and most importantly, to never give up – because no matter how difficult, it pales to what cancer patients endure.

?

So many of these traits come to life in the work we do at Bristol Myers Squibb. As a company on the frontline of scientific innovation, we understand the journey comes with failures, obstacles, and challenges. Part of what C2C4C has taught me, and all of my colleagues who participate, is how to push through those challenges by digging deep and focusing on our mission to improve patients’ lives.

?

The most inspiring part of riding — why we all ride — is learning the stories of the people riding alongside us. I’ve been with Bristol Myers Squibb for more than 25 years now, and still, every time I ride, I meet at least one new team member with their own, inspiring reason for riding. It’s powerful to see people from different geographies, different parts of the company, with their own unique stories, come together and unite as one team with the same ultimate goal — to advance cancer research and get life-changing innovation to patients. Each year our teamwork achieves amazing results, and each year I grow more inspired by the passion and dedication of all of our people to this cause.

?

This year, my inspiration for riding was my colleague, Katy. I met Katy at a company meeting in 2019, and we immediately connected over our mutual passion for C2C4C. I was taken aback when I learned that one of the reasons Katy chose to ride was because she, herself, was battling breast cancer for almost a decade. In 2021, I joined Katy for her segment of C2C4C, which included the steepest climbs of the entire ride over the Allegheny Mountains. In typical Katy fashion, she had chosen the most challenging leg of the ride to prove that cancer did not define her, and to give hope to others to not let it define them. Earlier this year, Katy lost her long battle to cancer. And while her life ended much too early, the impact she had, the lasting imprint she left on so many of us to remember that life can be embraced despite a cancer diagnosis, is something that none of us who knew Katy will ever forget. I could not wait to cross the finish line this year in St. Louis, where Katy’s family and closest friends were waiting to celebrate her life, her mission and her profound impact on all of us.

?

My story, Katy’s story, and the stories of each employee all contribute to the profound impact C2C4C has had as a beacon of our culture at Bristol Myers Squibb. C2C4C brings to life our purpose and our mission to transform patients’ lives through science. It reflects a culture where everyone brings their own stories and their own strengths together to push each other and lift each other up in pursuit of a higher goal. Most of all, C2C4C represents hope. Hope for patients fighting serious disease — a hope that we at Bristol Myers Squibb strive to deliver on through our medicines and innovation. Needless to say, I’m incredibly grateful for the past decade of C2C4C and the impact it has had on my life, and I’m excited to see what the next 10 years of C2C4C will bring to Bristol Myers Squibb and to patients around the world.