Hi!! My name is Lili Toledo, and next Summer I will be biking over 4,000 miles from AUSTIN, TX to ANCHORAGE, ALASKA for cancer research and support. With YOUR help, my goal is to raise $7,500 to support these efforts. 

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Why I Ride:

I am currently a senior nursing student at the University of Texas at Austin. I was largely inspired to do this ride by the patients I have encountered throughout my clinical rotations and in my role as a patient care tech. Time after time, I have witnessed the resilience and strength of people facing long-term and chronic illnesses. They have persisted with hope, courage, and kindness in the face of challenges they never asked for. Each mile, each climb, each turn of the pedal is to honor them.  They taught me the privilege of a healthy body and the importance of not taking my own for granted. It means so much to be able to train and ride in the name of something so much bigger than myself.

Cancer first became personal to me when my grandpa was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I watched as my family rallied around him and made the bleak hospital rooms crowded and chatter-filled. They showed up and supported him unwaveringly. My grandpa was able to participate in a clinical trial that ultimately helped him become cancer-free. Today, he is healthy, happy, and spends his time in his garden growing fruits and vegetables.

That experience showed me the power of research. It gave me hope and made me believe in a future with better treatments, better outcomes, and countless more stories like his.

I ride because I truly believe in a future where no one has to fight alone.

I ride for my patients, my family, and for everyone who has been impacted by cancer.

I ride for hope, progress, and the power of community.

To Alaska and back,

         Lili.

**It would be an honor to ride in support of you or a loved one. If you want to share your story, email me at Latoledo2527@gmail.com or text me at (346)234-3219. **