About Me

Profile

About:



I was really lucky to have a fulfilling and happy child hood. I have two great parents who love and support me in everything I do, and I have an amazing little brother. Not to mention my wonderful grandparents, my Uncle John, Aunt Tammy, Uncle David, and the rest of my extended family who support me in everything I do. I moved around a few times when I was younger, but spent the majority of my childhood and adolescence in Wichita Falls, Texas. I was a competitive participant in soccer and track from grade school through high school. Although as a child I loved sports my favorite activity was art, which I became very interested in at an early age and that interest in art continues today. I began drawing and painting, but my focus now is clay sculpting. I am currently a philosophy major at UT and I like to spend as much time as I can to enjoy nature and friends.

Why I Ride

The emotional and physical impact of cancer has touched millions all over the world. It’s powerful; it can go unnoticed and it can strike suddenly. Cancer’s powerful because of its mystery. One way to eliminate cancer’s mystery is through research; but unfortunately money from the government to fund such research isn’t as available as it should be, so scientists have to rely on donations from private sources.

My first encounter with cancer was when I was 9 years old. A very close family friend found out that she had a cancerous brain tumor near her left ear, and there was a very high chance of her not surviving the surgery. Luckily she did survive and only lost hearing in her left ear. Recently my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and because of its progressed state and she had to get a mastectomy. Another “too late” patient was by boss’s friend who took a cruise through the Caribbean and after he returned started feeling sick. The doctors didn’t know what was wrong with him for months, and by the time they discovered it was cancer he only had a few days to live.

The medical advances in the past few years have helped keep my family and friends alive, yet some are not so fortunate and there’s a long way to go in understanding this disease. I will probably never become a doctor, and as a philosophy major philanthropy might not be a part of my immediate future, but one is always capable of inspiring. I want to inspire others to donate to cancer research. I want to ride for those who can’t; I want to ride because I have the gift of a healthy body and the opportunity to make a difference.