I was born in Fort Worth, Texas and then moved to a suburb of DFW (Southlake) during middle school. I am now a junior at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Chemical Engineering. I've been a big runner and swimmer most of my life and have just recently taken up cycling. Hey, maybe someday I'll be able to do a triathlon.

For seven summers during my teenage years I volunteered at a hospital in Fort Worth. I saw so many people suffering from cancer. I think the most important thing you can do in life is serve others, especially those in need. When Chris came to me with the idea of Texas 4000 for Cancer I immediately wanted to be a part and do everything I could to make this possible. I think that this will certainly be physically challenging and there are several fears I'll have to overcome, most of all: bears. But these fears and physical hardships are insignificant compared to what people diagnosed with cancer experience every day.

A few years ago a family friend went to the doctor because he had been having stomach pains for a while. After performing several tests on him, they found that he had cancer in his stomach, but he had waited so long that it had spread to the rest of his body and there was nothing they could do to save or even prolong his life. I think one of the most important parts of Texas 4000 is educating people and communities across the country about prevention and early detection.