Profile

About: Hello and Welcome to my page!

My name is Julia Marza and I am a third year Health and Society and Pre-med major from Austin, TX. After graduation, I hope to take a gap year (or two) to work in strategy consulting before applying to medical school. When I’m not studying or at work you can usually find me with friends or catching the latest FC Barcelona game!

I am blessed to have the best family and friends a girl could ask for. Especially my parents, Cristina and Julian, who have always wholeheartedly supported everything I do, and my two siblings, Pol and Paula, who never (ever) fail to keep me humble.

I am an avid lover of all things soccer, traveling, Topo Chico, classic rock (Mostly Neil Diamond and Poco), and scary movies.

Feel free to follow my instagram @juliatoalaska for updates on my training, fundraising, and volunteering :)

Thank you for your support as I embark on this journey and as always Hook ‘em!!

Why I Ride

Ever since joining Texas 4,000, I have often thought about the ways in which cancer has affected me and those in my life. When I was four, my paternal grandmother lost a six month battle to pancreatic cancer. Ever since, cancer has taken many shapes and forms, from affecting friends and family to confusing and hard cut definitions in my biology textbooks. One thing that hasn’t changed though is the mental and physical hardships that cancer causes, so what could an undergrad possibly do to help? That is when, at the perfect time, Texas 4,000 made an appearance in my life.

Texas 4,000 helped me realize that in order to change the narrative and aid in the fight against cancer we need to have a fundamental change in society. It requires a spirit of sacrifice, understanding, and compassion for others. Our journey to Alaska helps convince non-believers that this is a cause worth fighting for and brings hope to those who may need it the most, so that maybe some day cancer can be synonymous with hope, knowledge, charity, and cure instead of all of the scary things that it causes. The mission of Texas 4,000 extends into the homes of people and reminds them that somewhere out there, people are fighting the fight right alongside them. In this case, on a bike!

It is exciting to think that 70 days of my time, not even a fraction of the 7,326+ that I have already lived can go towards making a change for someone. I could not think of a better message to spread over the course of 4,500 miles.

Whether you choose to contribute to Texas 4,000 through donations, buying merchandise, attending an event, or just simply visiting this page, you have already made an impact in the fight against cancer. This organization would not be possible without your support. I ride for anyone affected by cancer. If you have someone that you would like me to ride for do not hesitate to shoot me an email!

To Alaska and back,

Julia Monso Marza
juliamarza@utexas.edu