7th grader Broden Ala has always loved mountain biking. He waited years to be old enough to participate in NICA events, training hard in preparation for his moment to line up in the start chute. All that practice paid off: last year, during his first season, he crossed the finish line as the Arizona state champion.
“He was so happy to race NICA and he felt like he’d finally ‘arrived’.” said Broden’s father Eero. “It was much less intimidating than the other races he’d done… it really blossomed his love of riding.”
It was one of the reasons Eero was inspired to start the Rincon Composite Team the following year with another local family, The Bullis’. Broden and his sister Elise had previously competed as independent riders, since there was not yet a team in their community. The Ala’s decided they wanted to bring more kids together to ride and to introduce families to the NICA community.
“From the start, the Ala family embodied our vision of what our AZ NICA Community should look like: welcoming, friendly, inclusive, supportive and fun.” said AZ League Director, Jen Harrelson.
A Heartbreaking Diagnosis
The new Rincon team began training in late 2023, preparing for the 2024 season. Broden was as dedicated and determined as ever to help lead his newfound teammates to success.
Then, in January 2024, just weeks before their first race as a team, Broden’s family had some hard news to share. He had been diagnosed with a kind of bone cancer, osteosarcoma. It was going to require five days each week in the hospital for chemotherapy treatments, and an eventual amputation of one of his legs.
It was a devastating diagnosis, especially for a teenager who loved nothing more than to ride his bike. Riding was going to become very difficult over the coming months and years. Racing with his new team alongside his friends in the 2024 season would be unlikely. Broden wasn’t sure what reaction to expect from them when his family shared his diagnosis.
To his friends and coaches, there was only one thing to do— rally behind him and his family. Only three days after his diagnosis, on one of his last rides before treatment would begin, Broden rolled up to a huge group of 75 cyclists from the community. They asked him to lead them on a ride.
“We thought it would be a mile or so, a short ride since his leg hurt. But he kept going; we didn’t want to stop him since we didn’t know how many more rides he could do. He led the line of riders back after 9 miles!” said Eero.
With the uncertainty of surgery, chemotherapy, amputation, and recovery looming overhead, the diagnosis was just the start… but so too, was this community ride. Over the coming months, Broden and his family had no idea just how strongly the Rincon team and Arizona league would support them.
His teammates made custom orange ‘We Ride for Broden’ shirts to match his signature orange helmet. They added mini Lego figurines to their handlebars to match the one Broden always kept in his jersey pocket for luck. Jen custom-ordered stickers, which were donated by NICA partner TC Screenprinting. They spread around the races like wildfire, tagging every water-bottle, team trailer, and phone case in sight. The league also began donating all the proceeds from their race weekend ‘Spaghetti Dinners’ to Broden’s family, helping to offset some of the medical bills accumulating over the course of his treatment.
Over the season, Broden kept up with the friends he’d made. They visited him in the hospital and brought games to play, keeping him up-to-date with everything that was going on with the team, the league, and beyond.
Returning to the Start Line
After three long months in the hospital, Broden was scheduled for a two-week break from chemotherapy. The break happened to line up with the last race of the 2024 NICA season. It was his last chance of the year, and perhaps for many years, to line up in that start chute alongside his teammates and friends.
His parents could hardly hold him back. “With a chemo port installed in his chest, a partially dissolved femur, zero training, and having been bedridden for the last 3 months, Broden decided to race.”
Jen knew that she had to make this a weekend to remember. The league scheduled a special pre-ride of the course for Broden, where everyone showed up in their #WeRideForBroden shirts and offered him their support. When Broden rolled up to start the pre-ride, a special guest was waiting for him. Riley Amos, Trek Factory Racing athlete and 2024 Olympian, was there to ride alongside Broden.
After watching Riley’s races on TV at home together, his dad was thrilled to see how much it inspired Broden. “He felt like a superstar during the pre-ride, it was a very special event. After the pre-ride, Riley took time and hung out and chatted with Broden for quite a while.”
The next morning, a large crowd gathered to watch the start of the 7th grade boys race. “Broden started at the back of the pack...he normally starts in the very first spot, but he understood that life is different now. On race day he was feeling sick again, but didn’t want to give up this opportunity. He was so happy to be there,” says Eero.
“I think this was his toughest race yet. He gave it his all. He crashed during the race, and got up again. He finished behind almost every teammate. In the past, his teammates had looked at him and wondered if he was a superhero…now, even though they were faster, they knew for sure that he is a superhero, and their true friend."
"His true character showed that weekend. He spent that day from 6am to 10pm with his team. He didn't let anyone know that his leg really hurt. He limped for the following week after that, but it was super important for him to be able to have that one last special moment.”
The weekend wasn’t over yet, though. After the race, while Broden was having team dinner, a group of people headed over with a big surprise. Jen, alongside the entire Arizona NICA staff, presented Broden with a card and the donations they received.
Eero couldn’t believe it. “We were blown away at the generosity of the people in the NICA community. It was like they were family. I never would have known or expected them to be so amazing!"
Looking Forward: Broden’s Road to Recovery
Now, 4 months after the race, Broden’s life looks a bit different.
The Ala’s opted for a rotationplasty, a procedure that will allow Broden to ride and be active for the rest of his life despite his amputation. The surgery was a success, and he is already practicing clipping in with one foot.
“Broden is a force to be reckoned with. Right after surgery he was up and moving. A week after surgery he was at a team birthday party, and a month later he was already riding his bike,” said Jen.
As of July 2024, Broden is spending the summer in Utah working with his doctors to fit his new prosthetic. He’s also connected with another student in the Montana NICA league, who has been through the same diagnosis and surgery. The national NICA community has been “a great resource of encouragement and hope,” says Jen.
Broden is still undergoing chemotherapy treatments, but the prospect of racing his bike again keeps him focused on the future. They aren’t sure when the next chance will be. Broden will need to relearn how to walk, move, and ride safely. His parents are hoping he’ll be back to racing with his teammates for the 2026 NICA season— his freshman year.
For Jen, it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get Broden back on his bike. “We are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that Broden can be a part of our league in whatever capacity he chooses."
His father just has one thing to say to other parents with driven, dedicated kids like Broden. “We spend a lot of time maximizing our speed on the bike… but maybe we should focus more on maximizing the enjoyment— the fun, the relationships, the community, and on taking away great memories.”
Want to learn more about the awesome NICA community in Arizona? Check out their website and 2024 event dates here!
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