I am a freshman at the University of Texas. I hale from the kingdom of Pflugerville, Texas which was mentioned in the State of the Union Address honoring a fallen Marine just so you know. When was the last time your city was mentioned in the State of the Union? Yeah, what. Anywho, I enjoy backpacking, rock climbing, and pretty much anything outdoors. I played soccer, baseball, and football and I am also an Eagle Scout. At the big Uof T I am double majoring in International Business and Plan II but this is only tentative. We are working on creating an International Relations major so that might complicate things a bit. I am a brother of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and one of the Trip Planners for the 2005 Texas 4000 trek. Iā??ve had a blast working with the people in the Texas 4000 this year and cannot wait to hit the road.

I am dedicating this ride to my grandma who passed this past year. The loss of a friend or family member has unpredictable impacts on individuals and their community. While this ride is dedicated to my grandmother, the reason I'm riding 4000 miles on a stool with wheels is to help the loved ones we still have with us. Early detection and frequent check-ups drastically reduce the fatality rate of many cancer encounters. Get tested and get tested often. Along our trek we are doing cancer awareness presentations to communities and families and helping people cope with their own losses. If nothing else they will have the comfort of knowing that every summer 50 UT students will make a ride to Alaska soley to show them that they are not alone. There are few causes that parallel cancer in their effects and urgency and I am grateful to help in the fight against such a detrimental and prevalent disease.