When I saw the 3Day ad, I wanted to raise money for this important cause. The 3Day promised all the support I needed including porting my backpack to the campsites, and a 60 mile walk seemed short compared to the fact that I want to hike the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine) some day. So I saw the 3Day as a step in my training for the much larger walk ahead of me when I hike the AT.
But that was only the spark (moment of insanity some of my friends might say) that got me to say yes. Two things inspired me to keep going through 4 months of training.
One, that talking to others as I raised donations really raised my awareness of the facts about breast cancer and how many people I knew who had been touched.
Two, I walked into a senior manager's office to ask for a pledge, and he told me that he had brought his mother-in-law to the hospital the day before for surgery. The timing really shook me. He thanked me for walking to end this "vile disease" and wrote out a generous donation on the spot. Thoughts of his mother-in-law were with me throughout the 4 months of training.
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The amazing thing about the 3Day is how it has changed me.
- I have learned how to talk about breast cancer.
- I have learned so much about diet, endurance training, clothing, shoes, equipment, stretching, hydration, and becoming an athlete.
- I have committed to monthly self-exams, not whenever-I-think-of-it exams.
- I have hugged family and friends while asking them to make the same commitment to monthly exams.
- I have met wonderful walkers & coaches who have an outpouring of positive energy and stories.
- I have braved asking people for money, and their generosity has humbled me.
- I have gained confidence that I can do something that at first seemed impossible.
- I have learned that one person who is passionate about a cause can make a difference.
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