Kristina Soetje is a senior at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). In the summer of 2019, she will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 70-day, 4000+ mile ride from Baltimore, MD to San Francisco raising money and awareness for the Ulman Foundation.

What is your connection to the cancer community?

Through family and friends, I hold several ties to the cancer community. My grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away two months before my birth, so I never got to meet him. A few years later, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer twice and beat it both times (amazing!). She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer later on and left the world shortly after, but her strength and her continued love for nature during those difficult times will always inspire me. A family friend no longer with us was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and participated in cancer walks with her husband. During college, I have befriended two wonderful people who were diagnosed with cancer as children. I have met skin cancer survivors, and I’ve made friends with an amazing woman who was assigned to be a caretaker for her mother when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Why are you traveling 4,000 miles this summer with the Ulman Foundation?

As a young adult, if I were to be diagnosed with cancer, I would want myself and my loved ones to have the resources needed to get through it. Young adulthood is already a time of so many life changes, challenges, and experiences, but cancer can delay these and/or make them much harder to go through. Because of that, I want to join this organization that makes life easier for those currently fighting the battle! Plus, the 4K would be the absolute perfect way to fulfill my commitment to service and my dream of going cross-country simultaneously. Being a 4K rider would also open me up to diverse communities across the United States, allowing me to experience the different lifestyles and perspectives of others while making a difference. I would learn about the staff behind the scenes who help cancer patients feel better, the journey would increase my appreciation of America’s natural beauty as we ride west, and I would meet other riders from across the United States with the same passions for cycling and cancer causes as I do!

2019 marks the 18th year of the 4K for Cancer sending young adults on journeys across the country in an effort to inspire hope and unite communities in the fight against cancer. The 4K for Cancer is a program of the Ulman Foundation (Ulman). Interested in joining the fight? Apply to be a rider or runner a at www.4kforcancer.org! 

CHALLENGE:

Over 72,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer every year. Young adults (ages 15-39) face a variety of unique challenges with a cancer diagnosis including fertility preservation, social isolation, lack of insurance, delayed diagnosis, and more. 

SOLUTION:

Ulman Foundation changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With your support, Ulman is able to provide free support services and resources for the young adult cancer community including:

Cancer to 5K - a 12-week training program designed to introduce or reintroduce cancer survivors to physical activity.

Patient Navigation - a free program (onsite at cancer centers and remotely through our office) that ensures no young adult ever faces cancer alone. We provide one-on-one support & resources to young adults and their families to help them manage the cancer experience and long-term cancer survival.

Scholarships - a financial assistance program to help young adults continue their education after being affected by cancer through their own diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one.

Ulman House - This year Ulman will open a “home away from home” to provide free housing for young adult cancer patients, and their caregivers, in East Baltimore. 

Your donation will help make these programs and our mission possible!