Schools

Tebow-ing? Nah. We're Zach-ing.

University of Maryland student inspires many by raising his fists against cancer.

Everyone's doing it.

UMd. basketball coach Mark Turgeon is 'Zaching.' The actor who plays .' Even Maryland state lawmakers are doing it.

Since Zach Lederer, broadcast journalism major and student manager of the men’s basketball team, first flexed for the camera from his hospital bed—visual fighting words against cancer—the trend has spread across the country.

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Hundreds, if not more, photos of other people "Zaching" have poured into Facebook and Tumblr, showing support for Lederer and his fight against cancer.

After battling childhood cancer, the 18-year-old from Ellicott City had another cancerous tumor removed from his brain, the . Some of the tumor remained. Lederer flexed for the camera to let everyone know he'd be alright.

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It's a story that's been picked up by The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, SB Nation and NBC4.

Perhaps one of the most inspiring quotes from Lederer's story comes from TerpTrail, a sports blog maintained by the student newspaper, The Diamondback:

So few things in the world require 100 percent of you. You may give 100 percent, but it doesn’t require 100 percent and you could get away with 90 percent. In my mind cancer is one of those things, you’re not going to beat it with 90 percent. You’re either going to give 100 or you’re going to die. I told all my friends, what an opportunity, I’m not even 19 years old and I’m going to show the world how strong I am for the second time.”

                                                                         - Zach Lederer


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