Nicky Sardina

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Nicky

  • Tours Completed: 2025-Bigger Boat Tour

  • Team Role/Function: Runner

  • How did you become a Castaway? A friend from college, Danielle Llarena is involved with CAC and introduced me. Vince Llanes also paced me for a two-miler timed trial and put me in touch with Gaston who leads the running crew.

  • Why are you a Castaway? My grandfather passed away from pancreatic and prostate cancer. We were really close when I was little, and his laugh was infectious. This run is in his honor and also in honor of my mom who suddenly passed in March 2025. Although not from cancer, she had a love for the Keys like no other.

  • What is your "essential gear" to be a good Castaway? I love a good baseball dry fit hat. Great for boating on the weekends and great for running too.

  • My Family: I have been married since 2014 to my husband, Alex Sardina - a Columbus alum. I have two children, Elijah and Savannah, who are students at St. Timothy. They are my world.

  • Where are you from? Born and raised in Miami. My parents are Cuban, but I also have ancestry from Spain and China.

  • Where'd you go to high school? I did my freshmen and sophomore year in the IBIS program at Coral Reef and then transferred to and graduated from Archbishop Coleman Carroll.

  • Where'd you go to College/Grad School? I did my undergrad at the University of Florida (go Gators!), and both graduate degrees - Masters in Public Health and an Executive MBA in Health Sector Management and Policy - at the University of Miami.

  • Where do you work and what's your role there? I work in strategy and innovation at Sylvester, collaborating closely with the leadership team. I’ve seen firsthand how donations drive our faculty recruitment and research efforts. This is another reason I joined Castaways—to give my running purpose beyond personal growth and contribute to the community. I'm grateful to work alongside such inspiring leaders and a fantastic team at Sylvester.

  • Favorite music/artists: Country and my running list is jam packed with 2000’s Hip Hop and R&B.

  • Favorite movies/genre: Honestly, in true runner form, I fall asleep during opening credits so I am more into Netflix and Bravo.

  • Favorite books: So many - I read A LOT. My favorite themes are around family, friendships, and learning about different cultures.

  • Personal Fun Facts: I lived in Rome, Italy.

  • The mission of the Castaways mission is to help fund cancer research and honor those who've fought the fight. How do you (plan to) do that? My network - family, friends, colleagues. I think cancer has unfortunately in some way touched everyone around me.