I walk to remember the ones we’ve lost to heart disease — and to make sure they are never forgotten.

This cause is deeply personal to me. I walk in memory of my Grandpa, Ralph Potter, and dear friends Cody Lee and Don Robertson, along with the many others whose lives were taken far too soon. Each of these losses left a mark on my heart, and their names continue to guide why I show up for this walk year after year.

My career has been built in the cardiac cath lab, where the heart is not just my work — it’s my passion. But heart disease doesn’t discriminate. It affects people of every age and background, often without warning, and the impact ripples through families, friendships, and communities.

Walking is my way of honoring those we’ve lost, remembering their lives, and continuing the fight so fewer families have to experience this kind of loss. Every step I take is for them — and for the hope that one day, fewer names will need to be remembered.