Zaching: The Web Sensation Inspired by a Maryland Teen

In early 2012, Zach Lederer, a student at University of Maryland College Park, underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his brain. When he came out, he took a picture in a muscle man pose starting the phenomenon, Zaching.

This is not the first time Zach has battled this life threatening disease. When he was just twelve he was found to have a tumor in his brain that was malignant. The doctors told him he had little time to live. However, Dr. Ben Carson, a renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, was brought in to perform a surgery to remove the tumor. It was successful and Zach returned to school and eventually played football his senior year of high school. Late in 2011 however, Zach found out that he had another tumor on his brain and would need another surgery to remove it. Well after this surgery he struck the muscle pose, his dad took a picture and posted it to Facebook. Soon after his cousins saw it, took a picture of themselves in the same pose, and posted a comment “Tebowing is out, Zaching is in.” That is where the sensation started.

From there it ballooned into something huge. A blog popped up dedicated to people’s pictures of themselves and their friends Zaching. It started off small, like any web sensation, with just Zach’s family and close friends. It was since grown steadily and has gotten national attention. Many Celebrities have taken pictures of themselves Zaching including, Ravens Wide Receiver Torrey Smith, University of Maryland Men’s Basketball Coach Mark Turgeon, and even Washington Capital, Karl Alzner, who called it the Caps good luck charm.

Zaching has truly become a national phenomenon. It has made it onto Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. Zach has appeared on multiple television programs, radio shows, and was even honored at halftime of a UMD Men’s Basketball game, the team he manages in his free time. Perhaps, the largest exposure Zaching has gotten was when ESPN reporter Kevin Blackistone mentioned it at the end of the show Around the Horn. Zach says that when you are Zaching you aren’t doing it just for him, but for every cancer patient all over the world. He wanted to show us how strong he was, but now he is showing the world.