About Me

Profile

About: Hi everyone!

My name is Nick Spalding and I am a Senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Marketing. I was born in San Antonio, home of the Alamo, Texas's best Tex-Mex (you're creative with tacos Austin, I'll give you that-but better?), and the world’s best sports organization, the San Antonio Spurs. I spent most my time in the Countdown City becoming one with chlorine as a high school and club swimmer, before I moved on to the next chapter of my life in Austin.

College was life-changing for me. In high school, while I had great friends, I suffered from severe social anxiety, to the point where I found it hard to say hi to people. Entering college, I conquered social anxiety and made a new image for myself: the real me. I found friends with shared interests in fitness, music, and film. I joined a fraternity and rose to presidency, served as an accounting tutor on campus, volunteer as often as I can, and continue to work as a lifeguard. In my free time, I study for school, spend time outdoors, call mom, and unintentionally reserve my Sunday's for Netflix binges (I only regret it half of the time). After two years of this, I took a semester off last Fall to intern at NASA, before returning to Austin to fight cancer with Texas4000. Oh, and to finish my degree.

Why I Ride

As I mentioned, I suffered from social anxiety, which spanned a good majority of my life- including all of middle school and high school. As a result, I always found myself clinging to the friendliest, most outgoing people- that person who’s just so approachable and personable, and doesn’t let awkward moments (basically me for a good while) hinder conversation. This was Brian Kerr and Kathy Flynn. Brian was a father of two, a husband, a teacher, my uncle, and beloved by all. In our short time together, he taught me how to properly balance life and live it to the fullest. He taught me how to shoot a gun, fillet a fish, and fostered within me a love and appreciation for nature. He taught me how to interact with people, and showed me what love can do and how far it can go. Even when fibrosarcoma had limited him to a hospital bed, he still comforted me and reminded me to remember him for who he was, the old BK, and that everything would be okay. That was the last time I saw him. He passed away two years later, after a long and hard fought battle with cancer. He was 49 years old.

I ride for Kathy Flynn, who brightened any room she entered, and always sought me out to try to push me out of my comfort zone. I hated it at the time, but couldn’t be more thankful now. She passed away two years ago from Myelofibrosis and Glioblastoma. She was 50 years old.

I ride for Sharon Samples, who passed away from breast cancer. She was 43 years old.

I ride for my Aunt Theresa, who had beat a hard-fought breast cancer, and was unfortunately re-diagnosed after 15 years of being cancer free.

I ride so no one else has to leave this world too soon.

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