"You gain strength, courage, and confidence,
by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

During the weekend of October 23rd-25th, 1998, more than 2,400 brave souls walked 60-miles from Santa Barbara to Malibu in the first ever Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day.

This incredible event raised more than $5 million dollars for breast cancer awareness and early detection programs. It also became the impetus for several more 3-Day Walks throughout the country and the net proceeds raised through all of the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Days totals $20 million to-date. Each participant had to raise nearly $2,000 in pledges to take part in the walk and many walkers were able to raise even more than the minimum goal. My generous sponsors helped me raise more than $2,000 for this wonderful cause.

I remember when my friend Shanti first mentioned to me that she was going to do this walk. I hadn't heard of the event before and I admired her courage and dedication to make such a huge commitment to such an important cause. She had asked a few of us if we would like to join her in this crusade. Of course I didn't think I could walk that far or raise that much money — the idea of it all was so daunting!

But after thinking about how close to home this dreaded disease had hit — two of my mom's sisters had been diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago — I realized that I could not pass up this incredible opportunity to make a difference and to truly challenge myself. And I'm glad I made that choice because the walk showed me that with perseverance, belief in myself and support from friends and family, I could accomplish the unthinkable!

So, I joined three of my good friends from grad school, Shanti, Karen and Toni in the first ever Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day.

We trekked for nearly 20 miles each day, meeting some amazing women along the way — many of whom were breast cancer survivors themselves. In the evenings, we'd pitch our tents, eat dinner and gather around the camp to hear personal stories of hope, courage and survival.

The walk was undoubtedly grueling and the on-the-road camping lifestyle definitely took it's toll. On Day 1 they had miscalculated the number of port-o-potties needed, so the first pit stop was a very uncomfortably loooong wait in line! But the responsive Avon 3-Day team rectified the situation as soon as possible by hauling in scores of portable johns! The mobile campsite was also quite impressive. It was like a mini-city complete with hot food, entertainment, a massage therapist and hot running water. Pitching our tent proved to be a challenge, but after the first night, my tent-mate Toni and I were pros.

Walking along the Pacific Coast Highway was a treat. The breath-taking ocean views kept us motivated to continue on. We would stop along the coast for stretch breaks, admiring the shimmering blue sea. We also walked through some city areas and were cheered on by people lining the sidewalks. I remember passing by a group of young children who were having a ball giving us all high-fives as we strolled past their out-stretched little hands. It was great to see the neighborhoods showing their support for this important cause.

With their creativity and fun-loving spirit, the 3-Day crew kept us walkers entertained with "themed" pit stops like flower power (where they handed out fresh cut buds) and Forrest Gump complete with bench, box of chocolates and sneakers. They also parceled out healthy snacks like bananas, apples, granola bars, and other energy pick-me ups. My friends and I also got to taste-test what seemed like every Gatorade flavor under the rainbow!

After many blisters, several applications of Flex-All on our achey feet, and numerous pit stops along the way, we finally made it through the home stretch. We kept ourselves entertained by sharing stories, singing tunes and keeping our spirits high. Shanti introduced us to a mind-bender game called "It's difficult, but not hard" to help us pass the time. She kept us busy for about half a day trying to figure out the word puzzle. I highly recommend this brain-teaser and the picnic game! (If you're walking and you don't know these games, e-mail me and I'll fill you in on it so you can play it with your friends!)

Day 3 was definitely a challenge! I had to constantly remind myself to drink water and stretch (Toni helped to make sure we stayed hydrated and yoga-queen Karen kept us stretching!). We got our second-wind, though, when we reached the "Malibu" sign. We knew we were almost at our final destination. And here we are past the finish line, happy and exhilarated that we accomplished such an amazing feat for such a good cause!

At the closing ceremony on the beach in Malibu, thousands of 3-Day walkers, crew members and supporters held up candles in a moment of silence to honor breast cancer survivors and the memories of those who have lost their lives to this terrible disease. Seeing the crowd's energy, dedication and hope was a truly powerful and moving experience.

My friends Julie, Matea and Katie were at the ceremony to cheer me on and drive me to the airport to fly back to San Francisco. Even at the airport, I spotted several walkers donning their blue long-sleeve 3-Day shirts! It was inspiring to see that so many people had traveled from all over to be a part this amazing experience.

To find out more about how you can participate in a Avon Breast 3-Day Walk in your area please visit the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk website.

If you are interested in reading about my wonderful experience in the July 28th-30th, 2000 Avon 3-Day Walk from San Jose to San Francisco, please visit my July 2000 page. I walked in loving memory of my Aunty Mary who passed away last spring from a long-time battle with breast cancer and my Aunty Dorothy who is a breast cancer survivor. Their strength gave me the inspiration to face the challenges of this long trek again and to make a difference!

If you are a first-time 3-Day walker and would like some tips, please check out my Helpful Hints page.

Contact Information: jennifer@radiation.net | http://jennifer.radiation.net