1. Please tell us the name of your firm, title, and describe your role in one sentence. I work for Susquehanna Bank in their Capital Markets line of business as a Foreign Exchange sales & trading analyst.

2. What are your fundraising and athletic goals for The Decathlon, and what led you to choose them? Every donation – no matter how big or small – adds up and makes an impact to help fund pediatric cancer research. My goal is to personally raise 3k in donations to contribute towards our team goal of 10k. As for my athletic goals, while all of the events will be challenging, I chose the pull-up event and set a goal at 30 reps.

3. On average, a Decathlete receives donations from 34 supporters. What fundraising technique(s) have worked best for you that you would recommend to first-time participants? I created business cards with my contact information, event details and a QR code that is directly linked to my fundraising page. I keep them in my wallet and hand them out to everyone I see. The business cards have made it easy to ask for support from people across my networks, and more importantly, easy for them to follow through.

4. Most Decathletes have participated in mud runs, 5k’s, and triathlons. What differentiates The Wall Street Decathlon experience from those other events?  Before I signed up for this event in January, I was involved in GORUCK events. GORUCK teaches you to work together as a team, to push yourself beyond your perceived limits and when you are at your breaking point of failure, to reach out and help someone else up. The same thing comes to mind when I think of The Wall Street Decathlon.

Leading up to event day, we work together as a team raising awareness to fund the research that will help cure pediatric cancer. The Decathlon events will push you beyond your limits, and while your body will want to quit, you have your team there to help pull you through, with everyone ultimately working towards the same goal to find a cure.

5. What’s the one thing you are most excited about as a first-time participant? Since this is my first time competing in The Wall Street Decathlon, I am most excited about the experience and putting months of training to the test against the other athletes.

6. How have you been training for this year's event? I played sports growing up and in college, so going to the gym has been a priority for me that’s been built into my routine for years. I work out before work every morning and most of my focus in preparation for the event has consisted of cross training and weightlifting. It is always a great feeling knowing how much you’ve accomplished each morning before your co-workers have had their first cup of coffee.

7. Decathletes are motivated by the cause, the competition, and the camaraderie. What inspirational quote -- not from Anchorman -- motivates you? “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” –Arnold Schwarzenegger

You can donate to Patrick's personal fundraising page here.