Market: New York

Athlete: Ricky Schwartz, Angel Oak Capital

I played all sports when I was younger, but focused on lacrosse. The ability to grow and compete from 7th grade through high school with the same teammates was a priceless experience. After graduating and going off to the University of Maryland, I became involved in other groups and teams through the business school, fraternity, and club lacrosse, continuing to push mentally and physically while expanding my network. Roles were reversed one semester when I was afforded the experience to coach an Italian lacrosse team while studying abroad in Rome, shifting perspectives from goal lines to sidelines, and offering me a new outlook on the game and the importance of instilling camaraderie. Once I entered the workforce, group projects and team practices turned into long hours on the structured products trading desk and late nights on banking transactions. The mental competition on a trading floor was exciting but I missed the physical outlet that sports provided. Now in an office with a number of people I can count on my hands, I have an insatiable appetite for physical competition.

Everyone has a connection to someone affected by cancer. This past summer cancer finally took someone close to me. I lost a workout partner. Fighting through a multitude of challenges - blindness caused by macular degeneration, rehabilitation of torn ligaments and broken bones, and chemo treatments for bladder cancer - my grandfather and I went to the gym every time I came to visit. Papa would even go by himself, keeping track of the weight calibration by counting each machine's pin hole by touch. He was proud to let me know when he went up to the next weight. Before I was born, Papa's son and my father's brother, Robby, was lost to cancer too. He was only 26. He was diagnosed during college and never was had the opportunity to compete during those years. I was given my name in his honor.

I heard about The D10 early last year, but a hamstring tear set me back. Now with time to prepare, I have new goals to work towards for summer 2017. More importantly, I hope to raise money for the cutting edge research and treatment that Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center offers. I will compete on behalf of Papa and Robby and have outlined my physical goals for each event, but my number one priority is to reach my fundraising goal. A successful team relies on the collective power over the individual performance. I'll need your support to get there.

Ricky