I was born and raised in Dallas, and like a true Texan, I love warm weather, Mexican food, and Longhorn football. I am the older sister of two incredible brothers who I love very much. I am currently a fourth year Psychology student and after graduating from UT, I plan to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology. I also love reading, writing, art, and traveling. I set high standards for myself and am passionate about everything I do. I work hard, but I also love to have fun and am lucky to have such genuine friendships with intelligent and inspiring men and women. I have grown to crave adventure and it is my desire to experience as much of this life as I possibly can.

To be honest, there is a lot about riding a bicycle to Alaska that scares me, but it is the people we touch along the way who will bring meaning and motivation to our journey. I love to share life experiences with others, to gain insight from new perspectives, and to listen to anyone who has a story to tell. I know some days will be hard and highly emotional, but that will only make the ride that much sweeter. To be able to think back on the lives we personally touched from Austin to Anchorage will be a truly miraculous accomplishment.

Follow my blog at: http://fromaustintoanchorage.blogspot.com/

I ride for my mom. Diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, she is my inspiration for survival. My mom is a role model of bravery and endurance, and when the idea of cycling to Alaska seems unattainable, her fight against cancer makes the task seem not only possible, but that much more worthwhile.

My mom was lucky to have found the mass in her breast at an early stage, and I know her treatment was shorter and less involved than most. That did not make the day she told me she was sick any easier. It did not make me any less anxious. I knew the odds were in her favor, but the statistics didn’t matter; my mom had cancer. Her recovery is one of the greatest blessings in my life and I know I am fortunate to be the daughter of a survivor.

Unfortunately, we all have stories about how cancer has personally affected our lives. Although there are thousands of incredible success stories, too often the disease is bigger than the individuals who fight it. Patients in remission for twenty years still carry with them the possibility of relapse. Of course there are miraculous battles where cancer loses, but it eventually returns to manifest itself in another toddler, mother, son, or granddaddy. It knows no age limit, and it doesn’t care how good of a person you are. This ride is not about me. It is about being a part of something so much greater than myself to fight for the eradication of a disease that claims millions of lives each year. To fight this disease, we need to become bigger and stronger than ourselves as individuals; to all participate in a worldwide fight against cancer in hope that if not in our generation, maybe our grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, will see the day we find a cure.