About Me

Profile

About: My name is Annie Biondi, and I am a Plan II major from Houston. My favorites include rock climbing, camping, traveling, yoga, watercolors, paper cranes, children’s books, and sunflowers. I am particularly passionate about spreading dignity and acceptance for people with special needs. I am so grateful to be a part of Texas 4000.

Why I Ride

I ride for my dad. A year ago he was diagnosed with a sarcoma on his thigh that metastasized. His cancer came out of nowhere and in the span of a week turned everything around for him and my family. He has since gone through months of chemo, radiation, and surgery. He is such an incredibly strong and perseverant man. He faces his treatments with such resolve and dignity. I am riding to support my dad in his fight and to make him proud.

I ride for my mom, the most incredible woman I know. When I was ten, my mom was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I remember her kissing me goodnight in her glow-in-the-dark pajamas and joking that the radioactive iodine from her treatment made her glow. But my mom is always glowing and radiant. She has so much empathy and compassion for everyone she meets, and she is a selfless caretaker for my dad and the rest of my family. My mom is my inspiration, and she encourages me to follow my heart and to lead a life of things that bring me joy.

I ride for my Aunt Teri, the “cool aunt." She faced breast cancer with such optimism, bravery, and poise. She never lets anything slow her down, and she is always up for the next party or adventure. I remember visiting her shortly after her first round of chemo, and she was already busy planning the “pink party” she would throw when she was cancer free. She always reminds me that it is important to have fun and that everything deserves a celebration. She got to have her pink party almost two years ago now!

But cancer is unforgiving and unrelenting, and many lose their battles. It is unfair beyond words to fight so long and so hard and to still have to say goodbye to your family, to leave behind children that you will never get to see grow up. I ride for Dorothy Flato, and I ride for Pat Thornton. I ride in celebration of their lives and all the love and light they shared, and I ride for their families.

One in every two men and one in every three women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. I do not know what my future will bring, but right now I have this incredible opportunity to spread hope, knowledge, and charity across the country, and I am ready to ride!