Jamie Schupp

In September 2025, for the first time ever, I took on the extraordinary challenge of a multi-consecutive-day, multi-century ride - the 2025 Cal's Angels CUREage Bike Ride - 450 miles over five days.

Was it daunting?  Yes, but nothing compared to the battle against pediatric cancer.  I didn’t have to spend one night in the hospital.  No chemotherapy.  No surgery.  No one told me my 5-year survival chances were only 10%.  Indeed, if given the choice between the CUREage Ride and being diagnosed with cancer, would anyone pick the later?  Fat chance . . .

As I noted last year, Brady Nelson inspired me to join the ride and the fight.  I have known Brady since before his late 2020 diagnosis of glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. I connected with the Nelson family in early 2020 when my oldest son, Connor, joined the 13U Windy City baseball team that Eric Nelson coached. Hearing the news of Brady's diagnosis was devastating - I couldn't even begin to imagine how Brady and his family were dealing with that.

Fast forward to June 2021 and I am helping to coach Brady's 12U Windy City team on the trip to Cooperstown, NY (with my younger son, Zach, playing on that team). It was an incredible turn of events to witness Brady successfully fight cancer and get back onto the field, and I was humbled to be a part of making that experience possible for him.

But cancer never goes away, and Brady's glioblastoma returned. Collaborating with the Windy City program, we immediately went into action and created a fundraising #BradyStrong store with the Windy City branding - so players and parents on Brady's team (with which I was still involved) and others with the Windy City program as well as many friends and family could show their support for Brady's fight. Check out my profile picture here - that's one of the shirts we did on the #BradyStrong store.

If you had predicted in 2020 that Brady would still be here fighting cancer in 2026, I would have been most skeptical because the statistics predict a different outcome. But Brady has defied the odds and continues to tell cancer where to go today. And Brady's fight is possible because of the incredible support he gets from friends, family, and the community, and the cutting-edge health care treatment made possible through research breakthroughs paid for by the generous donations made.

Last year I said the least I could do was get on my bike and ride 450 miles in support of the efforts that have made and will continue to make it possible for Brady and every other pediatric cancer patient to battle cancer.  And there were many others.  Along the ride, we met a:

• 4-year old boy named Connor then-recently diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma

• Olivia battling Leukemia

• Mikaeel fighting lymphoblastic leukemia, and

• Madelyn fighting osteosarcoma. 

This year I needed more help – so I asked my friends John and Anton to join me on Team F3PWOP to help me and everyone else committed to the CUREage ride to fight.

I hope you can join us in fighting this WAR against pediatric cancer! Any donation is greatly appreciated. Cal's Angels is a 501(c)(3) pediatric cancer foundation dedicated to granting wishes, raising pediatric cancer awareness, and funding research. Donations made here will go to support that mission.

Thank you in advance for helping me again help Brady, Connor, Olivia, Mikaeel, Madelyn, and Cal's Angels in this battle!