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About: Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, my mother has always told me that my favorite word as a little girl was, “Why?” I would drive her crazy asking, “Why do I have to clean my room?” or “Why do boys have cooties?” Well, I guess I’m still growing up because not much has changed since then! I am just as inquisitive and yearning for knowledge, albeit hopefully driving different people crazy with my many questions. From all my inquiring, I can say with certainty that one of the themes of my life has been dealing with uncertainty.

Hi! My name is Kristan Schiele. I love to explore and learn about my surroundings in this beautiful world and wonder about the unknown. I have experienced from a young age the uncertainty that comes with health. I know the frustration and confusion, the “why?” that comes with a pediatric illness diagnosis. I was diagnosed with morphea, an autoimmune disorder, when I was in 7th grade, at a time when Paramore and Panic at the Disco reflected my pre-teen frustration with the world. At the time, all I knew was that my mom was scared, so I was scared. A few times a month, I would go to the academic hospital clinic where I had six or seven residents looking at my back, excited to learn about my skin condition. Methotrexate dropped my white blood cell count too low. UV light treatment didn’t work. After multiple failed treatments, my tears dried up and I grew frustrated with each doctor's visit. “Why was it getting worse?” “Why couldn’t they fix it?” “Why did this happen to me?” These were the people that were supposed to have the answers, right? A few years later, I began to ask different questions: “What’s going on in my body?” “What are autoimmune diseases?” “How can I help other kids?” I realized that millions of other children were asking the same questions and many without answers. In November 2014, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, bringing even more questions about my health and my future. I empathize with the constant search for answers and understand the frustration of having a chronic disease and the questions that surround it. By participating in Texas 4000’s fight against cancer, I hope that I can help provide both children and adults with the resources and funding to expand our answers to “Why?”

Why I Ride

I ride for my Aunt, my biggest role model, who survived ovarian cancer, served two tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, faced undue distress, and endured difficult times. She has always maintained her optimism and continuously is more concerned with the wellbeing of others and caring for all of us than putting herself first.

I ride for my Spanish professor, Dr. Jane Johnson, who battled breast cancer and has served as a mentor, friend, and someone who immensely cares about me. Her passion for teaching and her ability to find the silver lining in even the toughest situations is apparent to all her students. She guides me, reassures me, and has cared for me when I didn’t even know I needed it.

I ride for my friend and freshman year roommate, Audra. She took a leave of absence from UT when she was diagnosed with Stage III Hodgkin’s lymphoma after only being in school a few months. Living in the well worn quarters of Kinsolving, it was natural that we became good friends and when we left for Thanksgiving saying quick goodbyes and excited to go home to our families, I didn’t expect that she wouldn’t be coming back. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have learned that even the worst situations could bring about amazing outcomes. She taught me to forgive, to relax, to focus on the important things in life, and forget about the rest. I still am working on living by those statements, but having her back at UT and fully recovered is proof enough that anything is possible and there is no reason why I can’t live by those ideas.

Little did I know, the next year, I would meet my brilliant and funny little sister in Delta Gamma, Courtney, who was also in remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I ride for Courtney, who’s spunky, loving and always brings life into a room. I was shocked when I found out she was in remission, especially since just one year prior Audra told me her news. What were the odds that my roommate and my little both were Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivors? The situation and timing were such that I knew I was far more connected than I thought.

I ride for my Uncle Joe who passed away this past September after battling cancer on and off for the past 10 years. During his drawn out battle he supported his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. His continual kindness to all has stuck with me. I know that he’s no longer in pain and is in such a better place, but it saddens me sometimes that the world is now missing a wonderful man.

I ride for my Grandpa, who suffered from prostate cancer when I was in 7th grade. Prostate cancer for any man is a test and is demeaning, exhausting, and draining especially for a colonel in the army. While the treatment saved his life, it created so many other problems for him that he has to deal with on a daily basis.

And now, I ride for Grandma. Grams is the center of our family. She is the petite Italian woman with big hugs and even bigger meals who brings the family together. In October, my dad called me to tell me that they found a dark spot in Grandma’s lung. We received the confirmation the following week that she has lung cancer. This news was devastating, not only because she means so much to me personally, but because she is Grandma and Grams to fifteen other cousins, a wonderful mother to six, and a partner and best friend to Grandpa.

Updated 6 months later:
The woman to whom I dedicated my ride peacefully left this earth. During the days preceding her ceremony of life, I was able to more fully understand "why I ride." I ride for my Gramps, who lost his wife and best friend. I ride for my dad and his siblings, who lost their mom. I ride for cousins, friends, and neighbors who all loved her and cope with loss.
I ride for families and friends who suffer alongside the ones they love. I ride for hope.

I ride for those who cannot. I ride for the HOPE of social support in both pediatric and adult cancer. I ride for the KNOWLEDGE of how to identify early signs of cancer in myself and in loved ones. I ride for CHARITY to raise money for support groups and the development of safe and reliable treatments.