Maria Groten – Torrence's Champion Athlete Ambassador. Mother of 4, Active Community Volunteer for theater, ballet, and Children, she has completed 5 Marathons, several halves and triathlons of all distances, and just completed her 3rd IronMan Triathlon. When Torrence was 18 months old, she was diagnosed with Hypothalamic Pilocytic Astrocytoma. Her family was in Lubbock when the doctors discovered the large brain tumor and then immediately sent to Dallas Children's to see the specialist there. She went through a craniotomy to remove a large portion of the tumor and after a long stay in ICU she was transferred back to Lubbock where Torrence began chemo. Her first chemo road map called for 18 months. At the end she received the best news a threeyear-old could get for their birthday and that was that she was done with chemo. The dream was short lived. Only nine months out, the family received news that Torrence's tumor had begun to grow, and she needed to begin a more intensive round of chemo that would last 15 months. The chemo was tough on her and landed her in the hospital many times with blood transfusions and platelet transfusions. Torrence completed it and came through smiling only to be told six months later that the tumor was again growing. She began a new chemo treatment that was supposed to be a breakthrough. However, after 12 months of this “miracle” chemo she only received four and half months off. In October of 2010, shortly after she turned 7, the family learned that the tumor had grown again, and Torrence was now legally blind. Chemo number four is under way.