About Me

Profile

About:

I was born in Lubbock, Texas on 7/11, (it rhymes!) 1991 and raised in the "Cowboy Capital of the World," Bandera, Texas. I'm 5'0" tall and I'm always trying to play in the big-kid sports (basketball, power lifting, rugby...). I'm currently pursuing English and Spanish degrees and I plan on graduating from The University of Texas in the Fall of 2013. Afterwards, I'm hoping to join the Peace Corps or join another social work program that will hopefully take me to a place I've never been before. No matter what, I strive to live my life helping others.

My family and friends keep me afloat, and I love them in a way that combines respect and an unexplainable amount of attachment. Without them, I would not have seen the examples of morals and true values being played out in real life. Everything I do is because I want to uphold the goodness my loved ones have taught me.

I joined the UT Women's Rugby team in 2010 and was fitness captain for 2 years. The rugby team happens to be where the nickname "Madi" came from and where I can say that most of my personal growth in life sprouted from. My teammates are now my family. The experiences that came along with the sport have shaped me into someone who has much more fight in her than the person of 4 years ago.

I had to leave the 2013 Texas 4000 team after a knee injury in March prevented me from doing the bike ride, which would have started 3 months later. Making the decision to officially defer to 2014 was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It meant leaving my 2013 team, who I had trained with, volunteered with, and shared stories with, and then jumping into a new, triple-digit countdown till the day my expected ride began. But, with this injury comes new motivation to train hard and to get to know a brand-new team. There can't be a fight without obstacles, and this is just one of them.

Why I Ride

I did not fully understand the significance of the term "Who I ride for" until the day came when a bike ride overwhelmed me. Until then, I had been able to motivate myself and to push through whatever obstacle came my way by relying on my physical perseverance. Once the ride exceeded that point, the motivations of those that "I ride for" became so real and so honest that I can't see myself doing this ride without the thought of the people I'm riding for. The memories of those I've lost along with my supporters are the fuel that has gotten me through the adversity that I never expected to face.

I fight to take some burden off those who have dealt with too much in this lifetime. I ride in order to struggle with pain that doesn't even come close to the pain of losing a loved one or to the pain of knowing cancer. My legs will burn because I need to feel a hint of the pain others have felt in the larger battles in life. Without this burn, I cannot take the burden off of those I love in their times of need.