Cycle for Survival is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s rare cancer fundraiser. 16 cities. One goal: fund the fight.
People show up. They ride. They cheer. They tell the stories that matter. Every dollar goes straight to clinical trials, research, and breakthroughs at MSK. No middle ground.
NOBULL builds gear for people who do hard things. The mission is simple: be better—physically, mentally, emotionally. It’s personal for owner Mike Repole, founder of Nonna’s Garden Foundation and a longtime MSK supporter.
NOBULL is the official Performance Apparel partner of Cycle for Survival. In 2026, participants can earn exclusive Cycle for Survival x NOBULL gear—every piece tied to the work they put in and the money they raise.
Kassandra DeMaio knows what that fight looks like. She’s a mother of two, living in Connecticut with her husband Nick and their two young sons. She works alongside her husband at DeMaio Design Group, helping run the business and supporting interior design work.
In 2024, while pregnant with her second son, she was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin Lymphoma. She went through chemotherapy during her pregnancy under the care of MSK. No shortcuts. No waiting.
Now in remission, she’s showing up for others—supporting rare cancer research and riding in events like Cycle for Survival. We sat down with Kassandra to hear her story in her own words.
What did fitness mean to you before your diagnosis? Did your diagnosis change your definition of what it means to be “fit” or “strong”?
As an adult, I fell in love with fitness when I realized how incredible the mental health benefits were for me. When I was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma during my second pregnancy, the stress and uncertainty were completely overwhelming. Exercise was one of the few tools I had to cope with that anxiety.The kind of exercise I could manage changed dramatically during treatment, but I still tried to move my body whenever I could — even if that just meant getting outside for a short walk.
Going through the cancer diagnosis and treatment process during pregnancy completely changed my definition of what it means to be strong. Strength isn’t always pushing your limits physically. Sometimes it’s simply showing up, taking a walk when you feel exhausted, or choosing to keep moving forward when things feel incredibly uncertain. Having a 2-year-old son at the time helped motivate me to keep showing up with a positive attitude and continue finding joy in the everyday moments.
Fitness is often about pushing through discomfort with purpose. How did your relationship with fitness — physically and mentally — shape the way you approached four months of chemotherapy?
Because my body was dealing with both pregnancy and chemo treatment simultaneously, the fatigue, shortness of breath and weakening of my immune system that I experienced doubled. From the fall of 2024 through the spring of 2025, I wasn’t able to set foot in my gym, go to social functions or be anywhere that could expose me to germs.
Physically, mentally and emotionally, it was draining. But, as they say, the only way out is through. Even on the hardest days, I tried to get outside and walk. Some days it was five minutes, some days it was longer. Those walks became a reminder that even when everything else felt out of my control, I could still do something positive for my body and my mind.
What does being “no bullshit” mean to you?
While I was navigating the diagnosis process, I found this quote in a cancer forum: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It really stuck with me. Facing the uphill battle I had ahead of me – getting further and further along the chemo treatment process while I became more and more pregnant – was scary and impossible to process all at once. This mindset reminded me that I didn’t have to tackle everything at once, and it helped me approach everything — doctor appointments, treatment decisions, chemotherapy — one step at a time.
Instead of spiraling about the entire journey ahead, I tried to stay focused on the next appointment, the next round of treatment, the next small thing I needed to do to move forward. That mentality helped me “bite down” and push through each stage of the process.
Going through two more months of chemo while caring for a newborn and a two-year-old requires a different kind of endurance. What did strength look like during that season of your life?
That season required a completely different definition of strength. Just thirteen days after delivering my son Theo, I restarted chemotherapy while also caring for a newborn and my two-year-old son James. As a second-time mom, I knew how difficult the postpartum period could be, so I made sure to approach it differently than I did the first time and ask for help when I needed it. I fought the pressure to try to “do it all” (because I knew that I couldn’t).
My husband was truly my rock during that time — by my side at treatments, taking on more at home, and supporting me mentally, emotionally and physically. All while continuing to run his architecture firm from our home office.Thankfully, we were able to lean heavily on our families for support through this period. We are so blessed with such a great village – friends and family from near and far sent meals and continued to check in on our family during that time. Encouragement and support were what helped us get through some of the days that felt like a marathon.
How do you incorporate aspects of the NOBULL mentality - getting better every day mentally, emotionally, and physically – in your life every day?
Going through cancer treatment during pregnancy and the postpartum period really reinforced the idea that progress doesn’t always come in big, dramatic moments. Most of the time it comes from small, consistent steps. When I first got my treatment plan, I printed out a calendar of the next 8 months and hung it on the wall in my office where I would see it every day. I would put a huge X over each milestone I completed and re-calculate how far through I was to keep myself motivated.
Now that you’re in remission, what inspired you to give back by riding in Cycle for Survival, and what does supporting rare cancer research mean to you personally?
I owe an incredible amount to the doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who diagnosed and treated my cancer while I was pregnant. Because of them, I’m here today and my son Theo is thriving. That’s something I will never take for granted.
Supporting Cycle for Survival’s movement to beat rare cancers felt like a meaningful way to give back to the hospital that helped save my life. Every dollar raised goes directly to rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and that research is what continues to improve outcomes for patients like me.
As someone who personally benefited from medical research — an invitation to participate in the IDENTIFY Study at the NIH after receiving an inconclusive NIPT test result is what ultimately led to my diagnosis — I feel extremely passionate about this field. I love that every dollar Cycle for Survival raises goes directly to rare cancer research.Most people don’t realize that rare cancers make up about 50% of all cancer diagnoses, yet they receive disproportionately less funding. Given that roughly 39% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, this is a cause I believe everyone should care about.
Looking back, what are you most proud of — the physical endurance, the mental toughness, the advocacy, or something else entirely?
I am most proud of how I navigated the diagnosis process and advocated for myself and for my son. I first had a red flag regarding my health during my first trimester after a routine NIPT test came back inconclusive. After further testing, a full-body MRI revealed suspicious lymph nodes and bone lesions. To diagnose my exact cancer, my local hospital told me I would need an invasive and painful biopsy that would expose my baby to radiation. Instead, I sought out second and third opinions, determined to find a cancer center that could diagnose me without putting my unborn son at risk. That search ultimately led me to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Looking back, I’m proud that I trusted my instincts and continued to advocate for both my health and my baby’s safety during such an uncertain time.
What is something you wish you could have told yourself during the most trying period of this trial?
“You are stronger than you think, and you will get through this.”
