There was a season in my life when I struggled deeply with anxiety and my mental health. At the time, I never could have imagined the person I would become or the places life would eventually take me.

Years later, I found the outdoors and the mountains, and somewhere along the way they became a place of peace, challenge, growth, and healing for me. The quote, "The mountains are calling and I must go," resonates deeply because being in the mountains makes me feel alive, grounded, and fully myself.

I have also found purpose and fulfillment through my work as a sonographer, caring for patients and serving others during vulnerable moments in their lives. Over time, I realized how much both healthcare and the mountains have shaped who I am today.

This October, I will join Any Mountain's Ecuador Volcanoes expedition alongside a team of survivors, clinicians, and caregivers raising funds for gynecologic cancer research, with a focus on ovarian cancer prevention, aggressive endometrial cancers, and health equity.

What makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me is that it brings together my profession and my passion in a very personal way.

I am currently training for this expedition while working as a travel sonographer in remote Arctic Alaska, and traveling by small plane to provide ultrasound services in villages that are only accessible by air. It is a season that continually reminds me how important access to healthcare can be and how grateful I am for the opportunity to serve others.

The fundraising goal of $12,000 is significant, but I believe this journey represents something much bigger than reaching a summit. It is an opportunity to use something that has brought so much growth and healing into my own life to help support research that could impact countless others.

I have been turned around on mountains before. I know what it feels like to question yourself, wonder if you belong, and face setbacks. But mountaineering has taught me that turning around does not mean failure. You can keep showing up, keep training, keep learning, and continue pursuing meaningful things.

I would be honored to have you be part of this journey. Every donation, no matter the size, helps support critical gynecologic cancer research and brings us one step closer to improving the lives of women and families affected by these diseases.