About Me

Profile

About: I grew in the small town of West Columbia, Texas with my two parents, Don and Lisa, and older sister, Ashleigh. It was what I would call your “normal” childhood growing up. My parents owned a small one story brick home inside a golf course community, where I spent the majority of my time playing with the neighborhood kids and accompanying my father on his weekly golfing trips. When I was 3 years old, my father came across a 111 acre plot of land in Rosharon, Texas. He immediately fell in love with its 100 year old trees and sparkling blue lakes scattered throughout the land. After what took some major convincing, my father finally got my mother agree to sell our home in West Columbia and move to Rosharon. My father had always dreamed of being his own boss, so he decided he would build his own golf course on the land with the help of his father. My entire family crammed into a small trailer home as my parents debated between building their own home or moving one onto the land. Finally, my father came across what he considered to be his “dream home” in the Richmond/Rosenberg area. It was a 100 year old two story country farm house that had probably never be renovated since it had been built. To move the house onto the land, it had to be cut into four pieces. When the house was finally moved onto the land, the house was in shambles. There was not a single room in the entire house that could be salvaged. We continued to live in the trailer until my father could get a working bathroom and kitchen in the home. When we finally moved into the house, there was not even an upstairs constructed. My parents spent their weekend sheetrocking, sanding floors, painting walls, and tiling to just name a few. We would live in one room at a time, until the next room was finished. I believe during the whole renovation my “bedroom” had been in every room of the house (i.e., kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room). Growing up in these conditions was hard as a kid. It taught me to be patient because the majority of my parents’ time was spent fixing up the house when they weren’t at work. My Paw Paw (dad’s father) would come down and help my parents out as much he could. I remember one day while he was helping my father wire the upstairs he realized he couldn’t use his arms to lift a tool that my father had asked for. The issue continued to persist, so he decided to get seen by a doctor. It was around Thanksgiving that year, when he announced that they suspected he had ALS. After his diagnosis it seemed as if his entire body began to deteriorate at a rapid pace. As a kid, I could never grasp what was happening to my grandfather. I still remember the day when my mother pulled me from school to say my final goodbyes to him. His passing took a heavy toll on my entire family. My father even gave up on building the golf course they had planned together. Eventually my parents were able to finish the house, with the help of me and my sister as we got older. Having suitable conditions to bring a newborn infant into, my younger sister, Hannah, was born. Growing up, I was always angry at my parents for my upbrining. I had a 30 minute commute to school, no neighbors to play with, and it seemed as if something was always breaking on the land that required fixing. I just couldn’t understand why we couldn’t have a normal life like everyone else. Now looking back, I realize that I would not be the strong, hardworking, independent woman that I am today had it not been for my childhood. My parents taught me that anything can be accomplished if you are willing to work for it, so after graduating high school I decided to pursue a career in the challenging field of medicine.

Why I Ride

My Texas 4000 Manifesto

I ride in the celebration of life
via the pillars of hope, knowledge, and charity.

I ride for hope.
The hope that one day we will live in a cancer-free world.
The hope that through every pedal stroke I take brings inspiration to those impacted by cancer.

I ride for knowledge.
The knowledge that others will learn about early cancer detection.
The knowledge that others will take steps towards cancer prevention.

I ride for charity.
The charity that through each donation I receive gets us one step closer to finding a cure.
The charity that no person is ever told they can’t afford treatment.

Through the pillars of hope, knowledge, and charity, I ride.