Komen 3 Day for the Cure Countdown: 9 Days!

The Komen 3 Day for the Cure is only 9 days away! I’m excited because I was selected by Energizer as their Keep Going Blogger for the Cleveland 3 Day and I’m sharing my experiences preparing for, training for, and walking.

I can’t believe that we are officially in the single digits!

Training has been going well. I attended another organized training walk on Saturday and met a number of other first time walkers. We discussed questions, nerves, and excitement about the event drawing closer.  I met a family of sisters and cousins walking to support one of their own. They were jovial, fun, and passionate in their fight against breast cancer. I learned all about Tilley hats and their cult-like following (I may just have to get myself one!) and the secret to good zucchini bread, all while admiring countless beautiful homes and gardens.

Yesterday, I taped my first ever radio interview with WDOK 102.1 here in Cleveland. Radio host Jim McIntyre took a few minutes to ask veteran walker, Kevin Caine, and I questions about the Komen 3 Day for the Cure.

This year will be the 4th time Kevin has walked in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure here in Cleveland. He has also walked and crewed in other cities as well. Kevin’s wife, Judy, was diagnosed with breast cancer 8 years ago. Thankfully she is now a survivor.

The interview was a fun 15 minutes. Honestly, I did trip over my words a few times, but overall I thought I did well for my first time. Kevin was amazing – he was incredibly informative and talked with ease about the purpose and goals of the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure and he gave a wonderful overview of the event.

The interview will be played bright and early on Sunday morning at three local Cleveland stations:

– Q104 at 5:30 am

– WNCX 98.5 at 6 am

– WDOK 102.1 at 7 am

Also,  the interview link will be posted on the WDOK website on Sunday morning as well.

In preparing for the Komen 3 Day for the Cure and for the interview, I’ve been researching statistics about breast cancer. Truthfully, I found the numbers somewhat shocking:

Did you know?

• Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the leading cause of death among women worldwide.

• More than 1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globally each year.

• More than 465,000 women die from the disease each year.

• Somewhere in the world, a woman dies from breast cancer every 68 seconds.

The people I’ve meet in preparing for the 3 Day for the Cure have been incredible. While we get to know each other walking for hours under the hot sun, we always end up having fun and do lots of laughing. It’s almost hard to remember at times that everyone has a story close to their heart. A reason they are there. Whether they are walking for someone they lost or for someone who survived, we are all walking for an end to breast cancer.

In the radio interview today, when Kevin was asked how much longer he will walk, he responded, “I’ll never stop walking. And if I do, it’s because I won’t have to anymore.”

Let’s hope we get there someday soon. While I like Kevin’s energy and perseverance, I would love to give him a reason not to walk any more.