trip summary

                                                                                                        
Dates of Ride: June 6th- August 14th

55 riders: Mostly UT students between the ages of 18-25        

Two countries: the U.S. and Canada

Distance Covered: Sierra Route- 4556 miles
Rocky Route- 4545 miles

Goal: $400,000.00 donated to the American Cancer Society and MD Anderson.

Major Cities:

Rockies:                              Sierra:

Austin, TX                         Austin, TX
Waco, TX                          Lubbock, TX
Ft. Worth, TX                    Albuquerque, NM
Norman, OK                      San Francisco, CA
Oklahoma City, OK            Portland, OR
Colorado Springs, CO         Seattle, WA
Denver, CO                       Vancouver, BC
Helena, MT                       Prince George, BC
Calgary, AB                      Whitehorse, YT
Anchorage, AK                  Anchorage, AK

Our Mission: To spread hope, awareness, and charity from Texas to Alaska.

the journey starts now.

training has begun...
Every Saturday morning our team meets for a team run around Town Lake. I think it is definitely true that running with teammates pushes you harder than you can push yourself. I have already seen improvements in my endurance from the first few weeks of mandatory workouts. We also have Jack & Adam's (our local triathlon store and T4K sponsor) core workouts every Wednesday, and (as my family will be happy to know) I have not had a Coke all semester. These efforts seem minute compared to the extensive training that will begin once we receive our bikes in October and continue into the spring, but they are nonetheless getting us closer to Alaska.


thank you...
I have received several donations from friends and family and am already halfway to meeting the rider goal of $4,500.00... one dollar per mile. However, because the 2009 team set such a high precedent, we have raised our 2010 fundraising team goal to $400,000! Thank you all for your donations and support, it means so much to me, and to so many others.


my team....
Every meeting, workout, or social I meet someone new that inspires me. I am surrounded by incredible people and I cannot wait to spend the summer with them. I have no doubt that this team will encourage each other every mile, here to Alaska.


why i ride...
I ride for Aubrey, for Joe McLemore, for Ms. Macon, for Ms. Stell, for Neva, for Lindsay Tawney, and for my mom. For their inspiration to my family and so many others. For their strength and recovery, because every day they live is another day that cancer loses. I ride because Aubrey and Joe should still be here. I ride for those that can't, and for the hope of finding a cure.


my blog...
I have to admit, it is strange to write knowing that it will be available for people to read, but I hope to keep this blog regularly updated and, due to the unusual nature of this experience, I am excited about sharing the ride with readers.