About Me

Profile

About: My name is Olivia Arena, and I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I come from a vivacious tight-knit Mexican-Italian family. A colorful bunch, my family has always pushed me to journey. Growing up in the inner-city my sister and I constantly had a new adventure to pursue. From exploring the Texas hill country to traveling across Europe, my family taught me to have an open mind and an open heart. This attitude lead me to my current path of International Relations, Urban Studies, and Plan II Honors. Studying in Spain and Botswana has opened my eyes to a myriad of cultures, ideas, and identities. It also instilled within me a passion for people and with that a passion for service. To understand and love a community you must serve the community, and Texas 4000 seeks to better the lives of all communities. Cancer affects all ages, races, sexualities, identities, and backgrounds. Children and adults alike are forced to face the disease; across the globe families are torn apart. I am honored to be a part of an organization that strives to spread hope, knowledge, and charity throughout numerous communities across the continent.

Why I Ride

I was inspired to join Texas 4000 for several reasons. I ride for the individuals and families affected by cancer. We only have this one life, and cancer cruelly steals that opportunity from millions of individuals and families across the globe. I ride for the opportunity to save those precious lives. I ride to know that in some small way I am doing my part to help millions more have a chance to live.

Over my college career I've traveled around Europe and Africa. This past summer I researched and backpacked in Botswana for several months. Traveling has instilled within me a hunger to see and do as much as I can. Our time here is limited, and it's important to me that I dedicate part of my life to helping others. Cancer devastates lives and communities. In my own life family members have both survived and died from cancer. The day may come where any one of us is affected by the disease. I ride for their determination and strength in the face of an invisible monster. Cancer doesn't discriminate, and it takes away the opportunity to live for millions of people a year. It takes away the opportunity to know those people. It is this passion for people that has pushed me to join Texas 4000.

While cancer can affect anyone at anytime, some communities are more predisposed to being affected because of harmful living conditions, unhealthy life practices, and a general lack of knowledge about preventative care. As an Urban Studies major at UT Austin, I have a distinct understanding of the way cities and their population function. Many communities in urban environments are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer because of the inequalities in population distributions. I am passionate about people, and I am passionate about the health of cities. I ride for all those communities disproportionately affected by cancer and lacking the means and ability to effectively combat the disease. Through education, we can help promote healthy lifestyles and cancer conscious communities. Texas 4000 seeks to educate the public as much as it seeks to raise money for cancer research.

Members of my own family have been affected by cancer. My aunt Maryann, basically my third parent growing up, was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was young. I remember only vague memories of visiting in the hospital, wandering through the cancer ward with my mother, seeing the toll it took/continues to take on my family. Looking back, these moments have shaped my family. My mother and other aunt continue to regularly get check ups. They stress the importance of knowledge. Maryann pushed my sister and I to get involved in the cancer fighting movement, and every year we would walk as a family in the Komen Race for the Cure. There's something so inspirational about watching women and men run through the survivor's arch in their special pink shirts. With cancer comes fear. The fear it could strike again, the fear it will spread, the fear you'll leave your family. You can read hundreds of stories of how and why people are affected, but it never ceases to amaze me how quickly and selfishly cancer can take someone. Since I joined Texas 4000 in 2013, I have heard stories of courage from teammates, friends, and just strangers on the side of the road during panhandling hours. It's shown me the magnitude of the disease, and it's strengthened my resolve to participate in the fight.