I am riding my bike to Alaska to fight cancer because quite honestly cancer sucks and I am frustrated by how much it destroys lives and families. Not everyone can bike to Alaska. Not everyone that is diagnosed with cancer survives. I am so blessed in life to be healthy and to have a functioning body, so why not put my body to work and bike across the country in support and honor of those who can’t.

I am riding for my high school environmental science teacher, Nicole Vohl. Mrs. Vohl was diagnosed with a stage 3 Astrocytoma brain tumor in 2013 and continued to fight this tumor and teach for the next 3 years. Over the course of the 2015-2016 school year, we watched as the cancer continued to progress and her draining battle with the effects of the radiation and chemotherapy Mrs. Vohl passed away at the age of 39 on July 24th, 2016, but in the 39 years she was here, she made such an impact on every life she touched. I have never encountered anyone as brave and as passionate as her and she still inspires me to be a better person in life as I truly have never met someone as strong as her. I ride in memory of Mrs. Vohl and to honor the wonderful legacy she left behind for her family. The “hope” aspect of Texas 4000 resonates with everything Mrs. Vohl stood for. She fought a hard fight for three years and had so much hope for herself, her family, and her students. She was one of the teachers who cultivated my love for science, and I am honored to have been taught by such an inspiring individual.

I ride for my paternal grandmother, MeeMaw, who bravely battled breast cancer, and my maternal grandmother, Grammy, who fought both colon and lung cancers. These women raised phenomenal children and led wonderful lives. I know they would be proud to see me dedicating myself to an organization that works hard to help others and inspire hope in situations that can often be seen as hopeless. All of my grandparents had cancer of some form and both of my parents have had carcinomas removed after years of sun and skin damage. I ride for the pain, heartbreak, and loss that cancer brings to families when it takes away the people we love the most.

I ride for those affected by chronic disease. In April 2020 I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and since then it has been a constant battle for my health. Life at age 22 has been nothing like I would have expected- from the constant doctor's appointments, lab tests, and failed treatments. Yet through all of this I continue to ride for hope and am thankful for each day that I am healthy enough to get out of bed and live.

I ride for all of my family, friends, and peers who have been diagnosed with cancer or who have had to deal with cancer in their families- a list of people so long that it is too heartbreaking to even put on here.

Thank you for taking the time to read about why I am doing this seemingly crazy thing of riding from Austin to Alaska! I could not do it without your support!

To Alaska and back! -Kat