Every mile matters to Michaela Kornberg.
By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — Every mile matters to Michaela Kornberg.
Ms. Kornberg, 20, a 2011 graduate from Montgomery High School, will bike for 4,000 miles across the country in honor of those affected by cancer.
”I’m riding for them because they can’t and I will carry their legacies with me as I travel through America,” Ms. Kornberg said.
She will ride for 70 days starting in Baltimore, going southwest through Virginia, crossing the Appalachian Mountains into southern Tennessee, heading northwest to St. Louis in Missouri, going through Kansas into Colorado, up the Rocky Mountains into Utah and across Nevada to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Each day she will dedicate the next leg of her journey to someone who has died from cancer, who has cancer or has been affected by cancer.
She will ride to remember her grandfather who suffered from prostate cancer.
”He was a vivacious man and cancer took that from him,” Ms. Kornberg said.
She will ride for the Gatt family, who lost their mother, Sandra Gatt, to cancer.
”Her funeral was the first I’ve ever been to,” Ms. Kornberg said. “While sitting there I couldn’t help but think that it could have been my mother. She’s my main motivation for this. I want to help her children in any way I can.”
She will ride for her longtime friend’s father who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
”I have sat back and watched as cancer has ruined my grandfather and other families and I would like to do what I can to make a difference,” Ms. Kornberg said.
She is a junior at Towson University and also a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
”Our philanthropy is childhood cancer research,” Ms. Kornberg said. “My dream career is to work with patients who have cancer. I am currently a ‘Family and Human Services’ major with a track in ‘Child Life.’”
When Ms. Kornberg graduates from college she wants to work at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital as a child life specialist to provide therapeutic treatment to children and their families during their journey with cancer.
The bike ride across the country will benefit the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, which provides support, education and resources to benefit young adults affected by cancer and their families and friends.
Ms. Kornberg’s goal is to raise $7,000 for the cause. She is collecting donations from family members and friends and plans to organize a restaurant night to meet her goal.
”It’s hard to ask people to give you money,” Ms. Kornberg said. “I think that people should donate because cancer has affected someone in their life — a family member, friend, or someone they just heard of. Cancer is a horrible disease. If donating money is all you can do to help, that’s the least you could be doing.”
Her trip will begin on June 1 and will end on Aug. 9. She will miss her brother Adam’s graduation from high school but he understands what she’s doing for a great cause.
He and her two other brothers, Scott and Ian, and her parents, Paula and David, plan to meet her when she gets to California.
”My family is going to meet me and take me to wine country for my 21st birthday on Aug. 15,” Ms. Kornberg said.
Until she leaves she’ll continue training at the gym.
”I am blessed to have this opportunity,” Ms. Kornberg said. “I want to thank everyone who is helping me and want them to know I won’t give up on my trip.”
To make a pledge toward Ms. Kornberg’s 4K For Cancer trip, visit http://4kforcancer.org/profiles/michaela-kornberg/.

