Profile

About: Hi! My name is Anaya and I was born and raised in Austin! Thank you for visiting my page! I'm a rising senior studying Computer Science. I am so excited to be on the 2024 Texas 4000 team!!

Outside of Texas4000, I am involved as a teaching assistant and absolutely love holding office hours and helping my students. Some fun facts about me include that I am a vegetarian, I have a bunny named Bailey, and I was once displayed for 2 seconds in the background of a Netflix show.

In my free time I love to stargaze and learn about the universe, play violin, take photographs, play games with my friends and family, and spend time outdoors. I am so excited to be on this journey to fight cancer and to ride for those who have been affected so far.

Why I Ride

My grandmothers have all been afflicted with a variety of physical ailments. From fighting breast cancer, getting mastectomies, diabetes, weak knees, failing kidneys, dialysis three times a day, and broken bones, I remember their breakfasts to be piles of pills with a side of food. My earliest memories of them include being bedridden, unable to go anywhere, or doing so with great difficulty. It hindered any chance they had of being able to enjoy their retirement years, whether it be traveling, or spending time with their grandchildren, or even hanging out with their friends.
Even still, in their lifetimes, they fought a much larger battle with the antiquated views of society around them which stalled them from reaching their maximum potential. My grandmothers were expected to dedicate their lives to being housewives, like many women from previous generations. They were never encouraged to do anything else. They were taught by their own families and in-laws to be obedient to their husbands, raise their children, cook food and clean the house, and above all, be silent.
Interacting with them paints a whole new picture. My grandmothers were sharp and observant, and had high emotional intelligence. In the time spent at home, they patiently read books, practiced, and gained mastery in fields like sewing, acupressure, and philosophy. With a full education, confidence, and support from their communities, I wonder what amazing things they would have accomplished.
I want to join Texas4000 to ride for my grandmothers and all women who were never able to reach their full potential. I want to honor them by being the strong, passionate, go-getter woman my grandmothers wanted me to be. Pushing myself to accomplish a monumental task, like biking to Alaska, which I never thought I’d be able to do will give me unbridled confidence that I can accomplish anything that I put my mind to and that I can have an impact in the world in helping fight cancer. I want to be confident, fearless, and accomplish things and make differences that they could only dream of doing. I have hope that I can inspire other people, especially other girls, to never put limits on what they think they can achieve, and what we as humans can achieve.