Hopkins 4K for Cancer

Michelle Samson

Trip Year: 2007
School: JHU
Hometown: Woodbridge, VA
Email: michellesamson@jhu.edu
Please support me by donating now: http://www.active.com/donate/hopkins4k/4KMSamson

It’s difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that everyone experiences cancer in one way or another. It’s like that idea that everybody is interconnected by six degrees, except it’s only one or two. You have a friend who had cancer as a child. Or your grandfather is battling it, or your friend’s mother died from it. Cancer is a merciless, uniting force, but we can unite against it.
This is why I’m joining the Hopkins 4K. It’s a feat of motivation, generosity, compassion, and organization from united people across the nation. Along the ride, I imagine that moments of utter exhaustion – with no water in my bottle and many miles to go – will arise. During these moments, I will think about my friend who survived cancer, my fellow rider’s relative who wasn’t as lucky, and the millions of other cancer patients who don’t have the option of choosing to continue or not. They must keep fighting to survive. So I will keep riding. What I most look forward to is hearing people’s stories and spreading their hope across the country. I will value the perspective this trip will provide me in relating to future patients and to everyone who feels the effects of cancer.

Future Goals: To bask in the sun with my spandex-adorned team on the Golden Gate Bridge, and then to become the doctor you look forward to visiting.
Age: 21
Major: Neuroscience