Exclusive | Cancer survivor hits North America’s 124 stadiums with final stop on Long Island — and discovers extraordinary coincidence

After beating testicular cancer, Chicago native Ashvin Lad—who’s 51 now—realized life’s too brief to sit still. He set out to watch every one of North America’s 124 major professional‑sports arenas, flagging an Islanders hockey game at UBS Arena for his last stop.

What made that visit truly special, however, was a coincidence tied to the date itself.

According to the Post, Lad picked a Saturday afternoon match‑up between the Long Island Islanders and the St. Louis Blues on 11/22 because he’s a “numbers nerd” and liked that particular date. He later discovered the game was also hosting a “Hockey Fights Cancer” event.

“It feels like the whole post‑cancer journey has come full circle,” Lad said, joining a handful of “Club 124” members in the stands to toast his achievement.

The road to recovery wasn’t easy.

“Before Dec. 31, 1999, I was still in chemo—feeling awful and unable to celebrate,” Lad recounted. “I was watching everyone else celebrate the new millennium from far away.”

“Right then I told myself: ‘When this is over, I’m going to explore every corner of the world, meet as many people as I can, and soak up every experience I can.’”

And he did exactly that—now becoming the 27th recognized “Club 124” fan to visit all the baseball, hockey, basketball, and football arenas straddling the U.S. and Canada.

Before his diagnosis, Lad had already stepped foot in just four of the 124 venues. That same oncologist who treated legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong helped him in February 2000. That winter, he clipped a trip to St. Louis for the Rams, flew to Indianapolis for the Pacers, and hopped to Nashville to watch the Predators. “Whenever I was traveling—whether work or vacation—if there was a game, I went,” he remembers.

He didn’t learn about “Club 124”—a network that tracks each member’s stadium visits—until the 2010s in Chicago, when he met another avid traveler. He was stunned. “I can’t believe this is real. I’m going to do it—plan it carefully and push forward,” he said.

With no spouse or kids—making his schedule flexible—and a $100,000 lifetime grant, the journey was entirely his.

Highlights at the front row

Lad’s calendar has been peppered with iconic moments: watching Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans (2013) and witnessing Aaron Judge’s first home run for the Yankees (2016). He also spent a season at Wrigley Field, absorbing the Cubs’ three home World Series games and earning a reputation for helping kids with homework on the field.

By the early 2020s he had seen roughly 74 arenas, from ground‑level seats to the uppermost rafters. His dedication surged in 2022: “In September, I flew straight from a Thursday night Chargers‑vs‑Chiefs game in Kansas City to Seattle, then to Pittsburgh for the Steelers on Sunday, and then on to Buffalo for a Monday night Bills match.” He always managed to return home for work in the morning, sometimes with a double dose of games in a single day.

“I became an expert at doubling up,” he smiles. “I’ve played a baseball night, a basketball afternoon, and a hockey evening in quick succession.” He cites an instance juggling an Eagles game in Philadelphia at 1 p.m. and a Ravens‑vs‑Patriots Sunday night clash in Baltimore. On the day he landed at UBS Arena, the Islanders were live‑streaming their “Hockey Fights Cancer” event—an ironic twist that sealed the day.

“I was always stressed,” he admits. “Now I’ve done it, and I feel like I’ve really lived better.”

Must‑see stadiums on his list

• Sofi Stadium, Los Angeles
• UBS Arena, Long Island
• PNC Park, Pittsburgh
• Wrigley Field, Chicago
• Bell Centre, Montreal
• Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
• Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
• Intuit Dome, Los Angeles
• Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
• PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh