09/16/2026
For freshman Faylinn Fernandes, the fight against cancer is deeply personal. đź’™
Faylinn dedicated her season to her grandfather, Rick, whose battle with cancer began when he was just 18 years old.
Rick was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and endured 65 radiation treatments before finally going into remission at 23. Thirty-one years later, he was asked to fight again, this time against Stage 4 head and neck carcinoma. After 19 chemotherapy treatments and being given just six months to live, Rick fought for a year and a half. That extra time gave Fay something priceless: more memories with her grandpa. He taught her how to swing a baseball bat, how to stay strong when the odds are against you and, most importantly, how to face even the hardest days with kindness and positivity.
Although Rick has since passed away, his fight and legacy continue through Rick’s Fun Run, a nonprofit created in his name to help others facing battles of their own.
Faylinn’s dedication also carries another person very close to her heart: her Pop Pop, who is currently battling ALS. She knows what it means to remember someone who fought with everything he had while continuing to stand beside someone she loves through a fight of his own.
For Fay, this season carries both: the memories she was given with Grandpa Rick, the strength and kindness he showed her, and the love and support she continues to give Pop Pop through his battle with ALS. Two grandfathers who have shown her strength in very different ways, and she carries them both with her. đź’™