Austin Story is a freshman at the University of South Carolina. In the summer of 2018, he will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 49-day, 4000+ mile run from San Francisco to Baltimore, raising money and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

What is your connection to the cancer community?

Before I was born, my mother was diagnosed with cancer at the age of thirty-one. She was faced with uterine cancer before she could have any children. She wanted nothing more than to have kids and was heartbroken after receiving this news, but she did not give up hope. My parents tried to fertilize eggs in a lab nine times and each attempt was unsuccessful, more demoralizing than the last. During this time, a family friend, who is now my godmother, had been doing everything she could to give my mother children. After already having three children of her own, she offered to carry any fertilized eggs that may exist in the future, and sure enough, she ended up doing so. After five emotional years, they were finally successful and were given the news that they were pregnant with triplets. Ellie, my godmother, did not hesitate to carry the fertilized eggs, but seven months in, the pregnancy was killing her. She became very sick and was hospitalized. They were forced to perform C-section eight weeks early, but all was overshadowed by the fact that on June 25th, 1999 my two sisters and I were born. The older I get, the more I understand what they went through and the more I realize how strong Ellie and my mother are. My parents and Ellie are and will always be my heroes and I can never thank them enough for their sacrifices.

Why are you traveling 4,000 miles this summer with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults?

I am running 4,000 miles across America this summer to change lives. I want not just to change my life, but to change the lives and connect with others by doing something that I love. Running is my passion and it fuels my drive to be a better person. My passion enables me to connect with others through a shared love of running and it enables me to establish lasting relationships that teach me more than I can learn individually. Being on the 4k team gives me the opportunity to be on a team that fosters hope and support, and it is a personal goal of mine to elevate each teammate and family I encounter. I want to inspire others through my journey to join the fight against cancer and to prove that it is a fight that can be won. It has been almost nine years since I started running and it has been a goal of mine to run from ocean to ocean for just as long. Running across the country is indeed a daunting adventure, but I thrive off adventure and I can proudly say that the summer of 2018 will be the adventure of a lifetime.

2018 marks the 17th 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 Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF). Interested in joining the fight? Apply to be a rider or runner a at www.4kforcancer.org! 

CHALLENGE:

Over 70,000 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:

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With your support, the Ulman Cancer Fund 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.

UCF House - This year UCF broke ground on 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!