Lampasas — University of Texas student Rachel Boaz found out her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer the summer before her junior year. It was difficult. But in her grandmother's last days, Boaz made a decision that she would use her grandmother's story to fight back against cancer.
She joined the Texas 4000 Atlas Ride -- A 4000 mile journey, on bicycles, from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska. At every major stop, the team will engage the local community to talk about cancer awareness and prevention.
"I knew about the Texas 4000 in college since i was a freshman, i just never had the courage to do it." Boaz said. "In her last days it gave (grandma) hope, now i ride for her and her memory."
Texas 4000 is a nonprofit that sponsors the trek every year as a student leadership program. This year, in it's 15th annual event, 69 students will split into three teams and take three different paths their destination.
The Sierra team will travel up the west coast of the United States, the Rockies team will travel up thought the rocky mountains, and the Ozarks team will take an even longer route though the middle of the United States and through Canada. The journey takes 10 weeks, and once every week the team takes a two day rest stop and does a large cancer awareness presentation for an underserved community.
"Preventative health is underappreciated in our country," Sierra Ride Director Samantha Finkenstaedt said. "We definitely place an emphasis on Life style choices, healthy eating, an emphasis on not smoking and no tobacco use as well as other options for people going though cancer."
The teams will also raise money for local cancer patients and will help connect those patients with more resources in their area.
Track the three teams, and donate to help their cause, at www.texas4000.org.
