Every so often, someone comes along whose passion for the mission becomes bigger than any one ride, any one season, any one person. John T. Higgins was one of those people, and this month, our Connecticut and Western Massachusetts Chapter is honoring his legacy as our Cure Champion.
John’s connection to Breakthrough T1D began through his daughter, Meghan, who lives with type 1 diabetes (T1D). In 2015, John took on his first Breakthrough T1D Ride in Burlington, Vermont — and, as his family likes to say, it was like lightning struck. He was hooked. Over the next decade, John became one of the Ride community’s most devoted advocates, returning year after year and turning his family’s kitchen table into what he affectionately called “Ride Central,” covered in stamps, envelopes, and address books as he rallied family and friends to join the cause.
John rode not just for Meghan, but for every person and family navigating life with T1D. He poured his heart into fundraising, striking up conversations about the Ride wherever he went and inspiring an entire team, Team Higgins, made up of extended family and friends who continue to ride in his honor today.
We lost John last August, just a month before the 2025 Ride. His absence is felt deeply, but his spirit rides on through his family and everyone he touched along the way. As Team Higgins prepares for this year’s Breakthrough T1D Ride Cape Cod, on Sunday, September 27, 2026, they carry his memory, his humor, and his relentless belief that every person can make a difference.
Honoring John through TeamFish
John’s dear friends at TeamFish wanted to make sure his impact would keep growing, even as the family adjusts to riding without him. In his honor, TeamFish is sponsoring the new John T. Higgins Spirit Scholarship, created to welcome first-year riders into the Breakthrough T1D Ride community and remove barriers for people who are ready to join the mission John cared so deeply about.
TeamFish’s generosity means that up to five first-year riders or riders with a direct connection to John from our Connecticut and Western Massachusetts Chapter will receive a Day Rider package for the Cape Cod Ride this September — a gift that turns John’s legacy into someone else’s first mile.
About the John T. Higgins Spirit Scholarship
The scholarship is open to first-year Breakthrough T1D Ride participants, ages 13 and older, or to individuals with a direct connection to John. Recipients will be selected based on qualities that defined John’s approach to the Ride:
- A passion for community and connecting with fellow riders
- A commitment to the Breakthrough T1D mission
- A spirit of service and encouragement toward others
- A genuine desire to make an impact for people living with T1D
Applicants are asked to share why they want to take part in the Ride, how they demonstrate commitment to community and service, what inspires them about the Breakthrough T1D mission, and what the spirit of the Ride means to them personally.
Applications are due August 25, 2026. Apply here to be considered for one of five Day Rider packages at the Cape Cod Ride.
Ride on, John
John Higgins showed all of us that one person’s passion and commitment can inspire meaningful change. Thanks to his legacy — and TeamFish’s generosity — new riders will have the chance to discover the same sense of purpose and community that John found through the Ride.
Ride on, John. Your spirit lives on in every rider, every mile and every step closer to a world without T1D.
Interested in learning more about the Breakthrough T1D Ride Cape Cod? Reach out to Lindsey Matheson at [email protected] or visit Ride.BreakthroughT1D.org.