Fifteen years ago, I lost one of my best friends, Nina, to cystic fibrosis after a failed lung transplant.

This year, I became a mom. We named our daughter Nina, not just because we love the name, but to honor a friend who left us too soon. We hope our daughter grows up to be just as strong, witty, and tenacious.

There have been incredible breakthroughs in CF research over the last decade. My hope is that with continued support, a cure will be found. I'm riding for Nina—my friend and my daughter—to show her how little efforts can help contribute to something much bigger.