Profile

About: Salam! My name is Parysa (Puh-ree-sah) and I am a fourth year Communication Science Disorders Major. I am a first generation Iranian American who was raised by two loving Iranians. I was born in Friendswood, Texas surrounded by a strong Persian culture and with Farsi as my first language (I actually learned to speak English by watching Little Bear on Nickelodeon).

Heraclitus once said, “You can never step into the same river; for new waters are always flowing on to you.” Everything is always changing nothing is ever constant. I live my life by this motto. I am always that person trying new things taking every chance I can to make every day worthwhile. Being in sync with my inner self, nature, and life is something my Dad instilled in me to achieve happiness.

Why I Ride

I ride for my mother, Mitra Ghanimi. Like every little girl her mother is her special person. Mothers are our voice when we babble as babies, our first best friend, and our role model. Unfortunately, when I was twelve my mother lost her six year battle to stage four Adenocarcinoma Unknown Primary cancer. From the moment my mom turned 30 till she 36 she went in and out of hospitals, constantly battling for her life. Although the cancer kept spreading—she kept going. My mother is the strongest woman I know. I remember as a child how strong my mom was, she would walk out of the house into the public eye with her bare head and still make it look like the latest trend. She would go to chemotherapy two hours away from our house and still manage to be home waiting for me at the bus stop with a smile on her face. She would carry her five-pound morphine pump on the left shoulder of her fragile body, and use it as a purse to put money in when we went shopping. Even though each night she went to bed thinking it could have been her last, she still lived every single hour, minute and second glorifying life, making sure to tell my sister and me how much she loved us. Losing her was my biggest fear; however, I am fearless in life today because I faced and survived that tragedy.

I NEED to end cancer and I know I cannot do it alone. That is why I ride for my mom. I ride for all the young victims who lose their lives at a young age to cancer. I ride for all the children who lose their parent and have to experience the heart ache of life without them. I ride for doctors, researchers, caregivers, and anyone else on a mission to end this disease. I ride for the hope that cancer will end.