Profile

About: Iâ??ve lived in Austin all twenty years of my life, only recently though have I begun to appreciate what a great city it really is. I am in my third year at the University of Texas and had bounced between a few different majors for a while before landing in Geography and Environmental studies last year. The first two of my college years were spent living and breathing the life of competitive ultimate Frisbee with UTâ??s club team, and I canâ??t wait to watch my team take the number one spot in the nation this coming spring though I wonâ??t be with them. I just ended an incredible summer conservation internship in New Hampshireâ??s Lakes Region working with invasive plant species and caretaking for backcountry areas. Eventually Iâ??d like to make a career of similar work, but for now Iâ??m enjoying the freedom of just being a college student.

Why I Ride

Cancer had always been a foreign disease to me. It had been around me to a small extent as I grew up, but I had never taken the time to appreciate its overwhelming prevalence. Naïve until recently, I know now that cancer is a sad reality that most people will face one day. Whether itâ??s a personal battle or that of a friend or family member, chances are we all will see it in our lifetime. Cancerâ??s devastating abundance makes every moment of life precious whether itâ??s realized or not. If you were to have a loved one diagnosed with a terminal case of cancer there is no way around the fact that the loss would be hard. But if you were to know that that loved one had cherished every moment of their life and had lived without regrets, I believe you, the victim, and the people in their life could take comfort in the fact that the time they were given had not been wasted. Life is short, and cancer can make it even shorter. I think the best way we can fight the pains of cancer is to live every moment of life to its full potential. For me, that includes a bike ride across the continent to help in the fight.