I’m stepping into the ring this fall to join the fight against cancer and take back our stolen time.

It’s no secret that cancer has left its mark on the lives of most people. I was only 8 years old when my Nana was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer. My memories of her before the cancer are very fuzzy and dreamlike. I can hear her softly singing us to sleep and I can feel her gently combing my hair after a bath, but nothing is solid & there are so many missing pieces.

Luckily, Nana was able to fight back against the cancer with chemo and surgery, and a year later she was in remission.

For the next 9 years Nana got to be here with me and my siblings. She was here to watch every basketball game and celebrate every birthday. She was here to hold me when my mom got sick, and to cry with me when my Pop-Pop died. She was here to live out her dreams, and to watch her children and grandchildren discover their own dreams.

After those 9 years, when I was 17, Nana’s cancer came back and in time she passed away. While I’m devastated that Nana missed out on so many big and beautiful moments in our lives, I am so grateful for those 9 additional years with her. Now, I have memories of her that are permanently etched on the inside of my mind and I am certain that I wouldn’t have become the person I am now if we didn’t have that time together. The doctors, cancer researchers, and Nana herself fought for those years and that has made all the difference. Every year, month, and day that they took back from cancer was invaluable to us.

Like all of the fighters, I am excited and honored for this opportunity to fight back against this horrific disease that I’ve watched affect family, friends, and students alike. It’s vitalizing to know that every dollar that we raise together could give someone more time with the person they love. I am already endlessly grateful for your donations and support as we work to #KOcancer!

See you at Fight Night!