About Me

Profile

About: My name is Michael Laursen, named after my father, but most people call me Emmy. I am a born and raised Texas girl who grew up in Keller. I was born into a split family of five to whom I owe all of my love and gratitude. Growing up in a family where there was always someone by my side, or sometimes never at all, I learned the lesson of unconditional love. I developed at a very young age the tolerance and patience it takes to love another. I have been raised with a father whose passion for art flooded through me since I was an infant. The love for art has guided me to grow a love to teach and create alongside others. I am now entering my 3rd year at The University of Texas as Studio Art major where I feel completely at home. Eventually I want to teach art therapy in a non-profit to those who need encouragement and the right environment to express themselves.

Why I Ride

I entered Texas 4000 in the fall of 2012 with the determination to fight cancer alongside my father as he fought his own battle with cancer. Before I was sixteen, cancer was only something I had heard about. When I was a sophomore in high school my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer which metastasized to the liver. Over the course of four years I forced myself to grow strong enough for my little brother, my dad, and as I often forgot, myself. I also battled myself with living the life of a teenage girl or cherishing my time with my dad - because when it came to his life, I was afraid of regretting anything. As my dad pushed to witness both my brother and I graduate high school, his will to keep fighting weakened. In the last week of my dad's time here, I saw walls that were built over a lifetime fall as he loved and laughed more than I have ever seen him. My dad would say that God gathered him up. He left us on October 30th. I found out I was a member of Texas 4000 the night of November 5th. There is no way to prepare for an anticipated death of your father - I now get to ride in this fight in memory of my father - as well as for everyone else that doesn't get to ride.