Gia Sandor
Gia is a sophomore at Montgomery College. In the summer of 2012 she is riding with a group of college students on a 70 day, 4000+ mile bike ride from Baltimore to Seattle.
What is your connection with the cancer community?
You'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't been affected by cancer in one way or another -- whether it's holding your friend's hand as she sits through chemo, helping your sister find a wig because her hair fell out, chatting with a breast-cancer survivor in the waiting room of your doctor's office, praying for a family friend who's undergoing surgey to remove cancerous tumors, anxiously awaiting test results, mourning for the loss of a loved one, or celebrating a remission. Cancer reaches into parts of our lives that we don't even think about; it changes the way we eat, what we wear, our excersice habits, the things we put on and in our bodies, how much time we spend in the sun, and a myriad of other things. Whether we want to admit it or not, we're all inextricably linked to the cancer community.
The 4K for Cancer has given me a unique opportunity to strengthen my ties to the cancer community and be an active participant in it by helping in "uniting communities across the country in the fight against cancer through community service and support." I'm so privileged to be involved in this way and to be able to use my experiences with cancer to bring hope to others!
Why are you riding the 4K for Cancer?
My sister Ileana was very special. Of course, she had her downfalls like everyone else -- she was pretty messy, and quite overprotective of me, and boy did she love to shop -- but she was inarguably special. She had this way of loving us (me, my brothers, my parents, and my abuelita) that always pointed us back to how lucky we were to have each other. Ileana had this way of living that always reminded us of the joys of being alive. She was artistic, kind, patient, and always looking for ways to encourage someone; she was selfless and had a heart for those that were suffering; most importantly, however, she always had hope -- she had hope down til her very last breath.
I'm riding on the 4k for Cancer because I believe in the its mission and have a desire to be an active participant in it. I'm riding on the 4k for Cancer for all the sisters, mothers, brothers, fathers, and other loved ones that can't. I'm riding the 4k for Cancer for all those who survive. I'm riding because I want to share the legacy of joy, kindness, and hope that my sister left behind.
