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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.

The first time I watched Forrest Gump, I wrote him off as crazy after he ran 15,248 miles. I think we can all agree that 15,248 miles really is crazy, but he’s a fictional character, so we’ll forgive him and keep loving the line “Run, Forrest, Run!” What isn’t fiction is 71 University of Texas students riding over 4,500 miles to Alaska on bikes to battle cancer. Now that’s crazy…awesome. Luckily, I was able to grab Rene Castro (he’s so busy he’s just a blur on his bike!), a senior double majoring in Journalism and Theater and Dance, and asked him to share his Texas 4000 journey!

 
Her Campus Texas: How did you get involved with Texas 4000?
Rene Castro: When I was a freshman I saw a poster for Texas 4000 and I couldn’t believe it. It seemed unreal that college students would be able to bike all the way to Alaska. I never even considered applying because I thought that there would be no way I could ever do it. When my friends applied, I decided to as well. I thought the organization would be filled with avid bikers who just wanted to show off and do something they could talk about. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The reason this group of college students can bike to Alaska is because of the cause and what we feel every time we get on our bikes early in the morning. We know that we’re raising hope and that there are people rooting for us and cheering us on.

 

HCTX: What inspired you to get involved?
RC: I’m riding for a friend of mine, Kellen Beck. He passed away from Leukemia nine years ago. It greatly affected me.
HCTX:What has been your favorite part of the process so far?
RC: My favorite part of the process is my team. My teammates are incredible people, some even had cancer when they were younger. We’re so supportive of each other in everything we do. I know I have a group of people in my corner if I need support in anything. This group consists of incredibly intelligent, remarkably driven individuals who make a difference in their communities. We’re an organization of game changers.
 
HCTX: What are the five songs you will have to have on your iPod for the ride?
RC: We don’t have iPods in during the ride, so that we can communicate between each other. “Car back! Pothole! Debris! Dog!” But when I run I love listening to the Skyfall theme by Adele. I also like a Spanish band called La Oreja de Van Gogh, so I listen to them a lot. There’s also some big band jazz in my workout playlist. It’s good stuff.
 
HCTX: What can collegiettes do to get involved with Texas 4000?
RC: To get involved, donations are DEFINITELY welcome! Every rider has the task of raising $4,500 dollars in fundraising. That’s $1 for every mile we ride. We’re a non profit organization so every donation is tax deductible. All our money goes to cancer research like at MD Anderson Cancer Research Hospital in Houston. They’re great!
The Atlas Ride on June 1st is another way to get involved- that’s the day we leave for our journey! We ride from Austin to Lampasas and after registering, the public is free to ride with us. We end at a winery with great food- certainly a good incentive to go!
 
To learn more about Rene and his journey with the Texas 4000, visit his rider profile. If you would like to support Rene during the Texas 4000, you can donate here.

 

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Kenyatta Giddings is a double major in Broadcast Journalism and Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. She's a former toddler in a tiara from Dallas, Texas and enjoys recording voiceovers for Radio Disney, writing for various publications, and contributing her production and on-camera talents to an array of programs. In her spare time Kenyatta consumes herself with all things vintage shopping, entertainment media, and brunch. Follow her pursuit for fabulosity on Twitter @kenyattapinata and her favorite online magazine @HerCampusTexas.