Starla Maurer
- National: 464th
- State: 8th in MD
I'm Riding For
Alhena Martinez
On December 17, 2015, Alhena was diagnosed with HLH, a rare autoimmune disease where her immune system attacked her body. She needed two bone marrow transplants, chemo, and high-dose steroids just to survive. Her odds weren’t good—only 30%—but she beat them. She fought harder than most people ever will in their whole lives. For 9 amazing years, she lived in remission. We thought we were done with life-and-death battles. We were wrong… It started with a small pain under her right breast. We thought it was muscle pain or scar tissue from her transplant line. She was in high school now, carrying heavy books—we weren’t overly worried. But to be safe, we went in for a scan. That’s when they found two small nodules in her lung. Pneumonia, they said. A round of antibiotics helped—for a little while. But she wasn’t getting better. And suddenly everything moved fast. Another scan. A planned biopsy. Then a cold pushed things back. On December 23, 2024, we landed in the ICU for the first time ever. Not even during her HLH battle had we experienced that. She could barely breathe. Her back hurt. We thought it was that backpack again. But it was fluid—filling her chest, crushing her lung and heart. Within minutes of emergency surgery, she’d filled an entire container with fluid. But she came out of it smiling, cracking jokes like the rockstar she is. It wasn’t over. Another biopsy. Another surgery. And then, the news no parent ever wants to hear: Cancer. Not just any cancer—CIC-DUX4 sarcoma, an extremely rare and aggressive tumor in her chest wall. And just like that, we were back in a battle we thought we had already fought and won. Alhena doesn’t deserve this …no kid does. But she’s a fighter!!!!!!! She CAN and WILL beat this!!!
My Story
This September, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer!
Why? Because right now, cancer is the biggest killer of children from disease in the United States. Over 15,700 children are diagnosed every year, and sadly, 38 children die of cancer every week.
Kids should be living life, not fighting for it.
So I am raising funds through my challenge to help these kids and support Children's Cancer Research Fund to allow them to continue their work to develop lifesaving treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer.
Please support me by making a donation to give these kids the brighter futures they deserve.
Your support will change little lives.
Thank you.
Starla
My Legacy
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251 mi Ridden$592 Raised2016
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501 mi Ridden$1,030 Raised2017
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807 mi Ridden$1,663 Raised2018
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812 mi Ridden$1,929 Raised2019
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1,048 mi Ridden$2,042 Raised2020
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547 mi Ridden$1,114 Raised2022
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1,054 mi Ridden$2,721 Raised2024
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Ridden$833 Raised2025
My Challenge
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43.2 mi ride - Thanks Rob Zombie - helped me finish - Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Logged this ride 7 hours ago -
41.5 mi ride - One - done! Let’s go - Monday, September 1, 2025
Logged this ride 1 day ago -
$500 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $500 to fight kids' cancer and achieved GUARDIAN LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 11 days ago -
$250 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $250 to fight kids' cancer and achieved PROTECTOR LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 33 days ago -
$100 raised to fight kids' cancer!
I just raised $100 to fight kids' cancer and achieved DEFENDER LEVEL in the challenge! Thank you so much for your support.
Posted 35 days ago
My Sponsors
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Anne Jurek
“Thank you for doing this Starla.”
$207Received this donation 33 days ago
Starla
“Anne Jurek - thank you so so so much for your donation!!!! Love you bunches !!!”
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Judith Nale
“You got this girl~ 😎❤️”
$103.50Received this donation 5 hours ago
Starla
“Thank you so much. Besties FOREVER!!!!!!!!! Through tequila and bad dates. Hahahaha. I appreciate this so so much!”
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Roy's Painting Company
“We believe in you Starla!!! Great cause!! Thank you!!”
$103.50Received this donation 2 days ago
Starla
“Goodness Ginger!!!! Thank you so so so much. Love you bunches!!!!”
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Sara Dugan
“Kick Cancer's butt, Starla!”
$103.50Received this donation 11 days ago
Starla
“Thank you, Sara. Love you bunches and bunches.”
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Vickie Reilly
“So proud of your commitment to this cause and happy to support you in our own little way!”
$51.75Received this donation 9 days ago
Starla
“Thank you so so so much. I couldn’t do this without you. Your love and support mean so much to me and the kids”
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Rosalva N. Garcia
“Kick cancer’s ass Alhena and Star. I love you both.”
$41.40Received this donation 2 days ago
Starla
“I love you, Sissy. You are one of the best things in my life. Love you to the moon and back.”
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Amy McHenry
“You go girl!!!”
$36.23Received this donation 11 days ago
Starla
“Thank you so so so much. Love you bunches”
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Rob Mardell
“Just keep peddling’ You got this”
$36.23Received this donation 35 days ago
Starla
“Love you. Thank you !!!!!”
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Tammy Bennett
$36.23Received this donation 11 days ago
Starla
“Thanks Tamma Lamma. I love you. Too bad you won’t be here to laugh with me when I’m riding.”
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Catherine Martino
“You rock! So happy to support you as you raise money and awareness for such a good cause!”
$25.88Received this donation 31 days ago
Starla
“Thank you so so so so much. I love you.”
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Lynn Schriner
“This is a small token of support for both of you. A seed of hope and honor for a sweet warrior ❤”
$15.53Received this donation 36 days ago
Starla
“You are so amazing my beautiful friend. Thank you so much !!!!!”
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Starla Maurer
“Kicking things off with my own personal donation to fight kids' cancer!”
$36.23Received this donation 71 days ago -
Starla Maurer
$36.23Received this donation 36 days ago