About Me

Profile

About: Having lived in Texas all my life, I am proud to say that it is my one and only home. The two cities I have lived in, Austin and Houston, have really shaped me as an individual. Living in Austin for two years inspired me to attend the University of Texas because of its liveliness and to mirror Austin’s very own unique style with my own individual style. I am majoring in Business and hope to make a difference in a non-profit organization. But before entering the real world after graduating college, I have much time left to make the most out of my college career.

People like to say that I have a weird hobby, which I do in my spare time. Although, I find that “weird” is not the right word for this. Instead, I define this hobby as friendly and extroverted. My hobby is to engage in conversation with strangers on the streets. Although my mother constantly advised me not to talk to strangers as a child, I have found that talking to people who I barely know has helped me gain a better understanding of who I am. I like to think that I am a summation of all these strangers, because I’ve watched myself become a better, diverse, and more tolerant person because of these conversations, which have taught me to sympathize with the struggles of these strangers. The unique people that I have encountered in Austin make me think more about life and the different experiences that each person has gone through. Even though people may find my habits unordinary, the different stories I hear from people make me curious about life and what else is out there. One day, when a stranger comes up to me to ask about my life, I can share my story about the difference I made in the fight for cancer by biking 4,500 miles.

Why I Ride

When people hear the name Fighter 22, they associate it with a jet plane or an aircraft of some sort. Little do they know, this name represents a strong fighter that held our spirits up for many years. This name originated from all the small coincidental exchanges between the fighter and the number. For instance, the room number, which this fighter passed away in, was 22. The home address of this fighter included the number 22. The time, which this strong fighter passed away, added up to 22. The date of her funeral was January 22nd. In remembrance of my friend’s mother who passed away and to honor her battle against cancer and her constant will to survive, we dedicated my flag football team’s name after her- Fighter 22.

Most people also recognize Fighter 22 as Roshan Ali. She was diagnosed in December 2008 with stage-three mesothelioma, which is a rare lung cancer that is caused by asbestos. Ten years before this diagnosis, she battled thyroid cancer. Luckily, she removed her thyroid to end the cancer. Unfortunately, her battle against mesothelioma was nowhere near easy. In the two years before her death, she had most of her left lung removed, received 49 treatments of radiation, and four treatments of chemotherapy. She was also constantly in and out of the hospital, which emotionally affected my friend and our religious community. After her passing, we changed our flag football team’s name to Fighter 22. Each time we score a touchdown or cause a sac, we point up to the sky and dedicate it to Fighter 22 for teaching us how to keep fighting on through adversary. The team placed first in the Southwest Region of Texas countless times, all thanks to Fighter 22.

I also dedicate this ride to Akil Momin, a cancer survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma since 2006. I have known Akil for four years now, and from the day I met him, he has been nothing short of an exemplary role model and career advisor. I have always characterized Akil as a laid back guy who has no worry in the world, as a trustworthy friend and as someone who simply does not take “no” for an answer. Whether he has three midterms on the same day or is faced with personal issues, he is always the person who stays calm, laughs and marches through any obstacle. As a matter of fact, I did not know he had an early diagnosis with cancer at the early age of 16 until I told him I was applying for Texas 4000. After discovering that he survived cancer, I started to piece the puzzle together and try to understand why he acted as light-heartedly as he did. His carefree nature traces back to his own survival story. From what others recall, when the first symptoms of cancer started appearing, he would show off the bumps on his neck to his friends and laugh off the situation he was in, never blaming anyone or feeling sorry for himself. While battling cancer, he remained comical and held strong to his positive disposition. His carefree nature actually emerged during his chemotherapy sessions. It changed his perspective by making him realize what the most important aspects in his in life were. The Akil before cancer, who was scared to take risks and step out of his comfort zone, transformed after completing six months of chemotherapy to someone who took the curve balls life threw at him and hit them out of the park. He began to participate in more outgoing activities such as cliff diving into Lake Travis and bungee jumping at Fiesta Texas. Cancer became the pivotal point in his life for the better good, and now, as a survivor, he sets hope to other cancer patients. Recently, one of Akil’s close friends, Safin Maknojia, was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. This news deeply impacted the close-knit group of friends, but at the same time brought the group of friends closer together. To support Safin’s journey, all his friends shaved their heads to give him the moral support. Safin has all the guns and ammo to fight this battle of cancer- his friends and family. He still continues to fight his battle against cancer, and I admire how all of his friends are there to support him every step of the way. From observing their friendship, I learned that cancer is distressing, but at the same time it has its beauty in the fact that it unites people to take a stand against cancer.

From all the reasons to do Texas 4000, there was one experience in my life that turned my world upside down and made me more than determined to do Texas 4000. A good friend of mine was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma in early November of 2011. His name is Raheel Momin AKA REO. After hearing the news, my world shattered. I was in utter shock. I never shared a friendship with someone while they were facing this situation. It took my group of friends and me a while to accept the fact that our friend was going through a life long battle of cancer. We did not know how to approach him. We tried to comfort him, but he would always say that he does not want to be treated differently just because he was fighting cancer. With all our worlds changed, we helped our friend battle cancer by visiting him in the hospital and coming over to his house after his chemotherapy sessions. We did not treat him any differently but made sure that he knew we were there for him. On July 27th, we finally heard some good news. Raheel’s body began to respond to his treatment. It was the first good news we heard, and everything seemed to be headed in the right direction.

Months later after the treatment, Raheel was awaiting patiently for his white blood cell count level to rise so that he could receive his stem cell transplant. He was finally leading a normal life, until he began to feel weak again. Soon, his fevers were becoming severe, and he was rushed to the hospital. Later that day, all our friends got a text from his sister saying that the treatment was no longer working and that he was too weak to have a transplant. My stomach dropped. It had felt like there was no other option but to accept the facts. Raheel was then put on hospice, and there was nothing to do but to pray and hope for a miracle.

In the coming weeks, we did the most we could to keep Raheel’s spirits up. We’d visit him more frequently and bring him food from his favorite restaurants. We had many great laughs and unforgettable moments. Even though everyone knew his end could happen at a moment’s notice, Raheel remained courageous and composed. He was never startled by the idea of death, and that characteristic of acceptance was one that I admired and will never forget. On April 13, 2013, Raheel passed away. For weeks, I was upset. The only thing that helped me get through the day was the memories that Raheel left behind.

Cancer does not happen to a specific race, gender, or ethnicity. It can happen to anyone. No one is completely immune to the wrath of cancer. I dedicate this ride to all those who have lost and/or have been affected by cancer. I also ride to spread the awareness of cancer to both my religious community and the general public. I ride for Safin Maknojia to help support and give him hope through his journey with his fight against cancer. I ride in hope that the word “cancer” becomes nonexistent for future generations.