Committed to a cause: Wachusett soccer's Remy St. Germain rides again to Gillette

HOLDEN — While Remy St. Germain has a wide number of interests, he’s strictly a one-sport athlete.

It’s soccer, soccer and more soccer for the Wachusett Regional junior. He’s a starting midfielder for the Mountaineers’ varsity team, plays in the W5 rec league on Sundays in the spring and fall, and has taken the pitch for the Holden Youth Soccer and New England Revolution unified teams.

“My dad signed me up when I was four, and I fell in love with it,” St. Germain said last week at Wachusett at the end of a school day and before the start of a night practice. “It’s been my way of calming myself down.

Live fall high school schedule, results, line scores and recaps

“It’s a safe space for me to express myself. I’m pretty shy at social events, but on the field, I can express myself in whichever way I want, which is beautiful to me.”

But since last year, this 17-year-old Holden resident has put himself out there as a committed-to-a-cause cyclist.

St. Germain has marshalled his drive, energy, motivation and endurance to raise awareness of childhood cancer and funds for Why Me & Sherry’s House in Worcester in memory of his cousin, Sophia, who passed away 11 years ago at the age of 4 from leukemia.

On Saturday morning, St. Germain will embark on the second Remy's Ride, this year’s rugged route covering 75 miles from Sterling to Gillette Stadium.

“I was (six) when Sophia passed, but she was an inspiration to me, which is why I’m doing this in honor of her,” said St. Germain, who recalled how he, his twin sister, Mimi, and Sophia formed a special bond because they were close in age and much younger than their other relatives at family gatherings.

To that end, St. Germain wears No. 25 on his soccer uniforms in honor of Sophia, who died on June 25, 2012. It serves as a reminder of whom he’s representing when he’s on the field and to always fight the good fight.

On Saturday morning, St. Germain will embark from the Sterling home of his aunt and Sophia’s mom, Rebecca Kuczarski, and cycle through the other four communities in the Wachusett school district — the hilly enclaves of Princeton, Paxton, Rutland, and Holden — before making a stop at Sherry’s House.

“It’s a rough start for sure,” St. Germain acknowledged of a tour that is 25 miles longer than the inaugural one.

One thing that will make it easier is, unlike last year when he completed the ride on a mountain bike, this time he’ll be pedaling a Trek endurance road bike, which is designed for touring.

The nifty new wheels (thanks mom and dad!) certainly served him well during training this summer, which included a 40-miler to Wrentham, in preparation for what should be, including stops, a six- to seven-hour undertaking.

St. Germain again will be joined by his older cousin and avid cyclist, Connor Derricks of New Jersey, and other supportive colleagues, some of whom will do the entire route, others a segment of it.

They’ll use secondary roads to make their way from Sherry’s House to Gillette Stadium, where the Revs will host Charlotte at 7:30 p.m. in their annual Kick Childhood Cancer match.

The Revs honored St. Germain as their Hero of the Match following last year’s ride for making a difference in the community.

Holden Youth Soccer is planning on showing its support for Remy at the stadium along with many family members, friends and classmates. The presence of familiar faces last September made for an emotional moment.

“I’m not sure how many people are going to the game, but we’ll probably have a good support group there,” an appreciative St. Germain humbly said. “Last year it was amazing.

“I don’t normally cry, like I’ve never cried tears of joy before that moment, so it kind of just displays how much it meant to me, seeing my friends and my family all there to support me at the finishing line. It meant a lot to me and lot to others.”

The whole experience was so phenomenal and fulfilling, St. Germain decided that night there would be another Remy’s Ride.

St. Germain set a goal of $2,500 last year and ended up raising around $9,000. This year’s goal of $5,000 already has been surpassed through individual donations, T-shirt sales, a Papa Gino’s pizza night, and a raffle that netted close to $550 at a Wachusett soccer match.

“So it’s going really well,” he said.

So much so that St. Germain, a board game enthusiast and an excellent student with a 90-plus percent cumulative average who is interested in studying psychology in college, is intrigued by the idea of making Remy’s Ride an annual event “to keep it going as long as possible.”

—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Committed to a cause: Wachusett soccer's Remy St. Germain rides again to Gillette