Please support me as I commit to another Susan G. Komen 3-Day event in 2025.  This will be my 8th and 9th, 60-mile walk to help fight breast cancer. It will be hard, but it’s not as hard as breast cancer. It’s not as hard as chemo. It’s not as hard as getting bad news at your latest scan. It's not as hard as finding out another friend has been diagnosed.  And that’s why I know I have to do this. That’s why I’m walking and why I’m raising money – to end breast cancer forever.

While my personal breast cancer journey began in 2015, my participation in breast cancer events started way back in 2001 when I did the Santa Barbara to Malibu 3-Day Walk.  I signed up and trained alone, but ended up walking with thousands of people, all with the same goal to help fight breast cancer.   While it was my hardest event ever, it was one of the most meaningful and has led to a commitment to participate in breast cancer fundraising and awareness events.  

Here's a semi-short synopsis of the long-distance events I've participated in:

2001: Avon 3-Day Walk: Santa Barbara to Malibu.  Super hard.  Signed up after seeing a flyer and wanted to honor Frazer's mom and stepmom, whom both passed away from breast cancer.  Meet two solo men walking and remained friends with one (Greg) for years.  60 miles

2002: Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk: Santa Barbara to Oxnard.  I was pregnant with Ashley for this walk.  I signed up and trained with my friend Ann and we met some lifetime friends (Sheila, Molly and Mary Anne). 60 miles

2004: Avon Walk to End Breast Cancer: Los Angeles. Signed up alone, but found a training buddy online and it turned out that she lived on my street!  We trained and traveled down together, but I mostly walked with two young ladies that "adopted me".  39 miles.

2007: Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk: San Diego.  Traveled down with Mary Anne's team "Breast Defense League" and Frazer brought the girls down to cheer me on along with my brother Chris and his family. 60 miles.

2010: Avon Walk to End Breast Cancer: Santa Barbara.  Trained and walked with my good friend Karen.  Ashley's Girl Scout Troop had a cheering station that Frazer and Brooke also joined, along with Karen's girls.  Brooke walked the last few miles with us to the end. 39 miles.

2012: Avon Walk to End Breast Cancer: Santa Barbara.Trained and walked alone, but tented with a lady (Sandra) whom I encouraged to crew the following year with Frazer and I. 39 miles

2013: Avon 39: Walk to End Breast Cancer.  Santa Barbara.  Same event, new name.  Frazer and I participated with the Gear and Tent Crew.  We crewed, helping walkers with their gear and setting up tents.  Great experience.

2014: Avon 39: Walk to End Breast Cancer. Santa Barbara.  Frazer and I had so much fun with the Gear and Tent Crew that we did it again!  

2015: Avon 39: Walk to End Breast Cancer. Santa Barbara.  This was the big year!  I had my diagnosis in Feb/Mar time, surgery in May and six weeks of chemo and then started training for the walk with friends Dana and Holly.  Ashley applied for the Youth Crew and received an interview call on my birthday, which was the same day I had my in-person visit with my surgeon to confirm my diagnosis.  What a day!   Frazer again volunteered with the Gear and Tent Crew, Ashley was on the amazing Youth Crew, Brooke and Girl Scout friends had a cheering station on the route, and I walked 39 miles bald and beautiful. 39 miles

2016: Avon 39: Walk to End Breast Cancer.  Santa Barbara.   This was our all-Crew year with Frazer on the Bicycle Crew and myself, Ashley and Brooke on the Youth Crew. At opening ceremonies for the walk, Frazer was one of the speakers and he gave a heart-felt and emotional speech in front of hundreds (maybe thousands) of people. I drove a van of kids around both days while they cheered on the walkers and this was the year Brooke met and bounded with a walker, the incredible  "Avon Patty".

2017: Avon 39: Walk to End Breast Cancer.  Santa Barbara.  This was a mirror of last year with Frazer on the Bicycle Crew and Ashley, Brooke and I on the Youth Crew.  Brooke was able to find "Avon Patty" again and we've remained friends since. This was the last year that Avon did a long-distance walk.  Sad.

2018: YSC's Tour de Pink bike ride. Santa Barbara.  Our new friend "Avon Patty" encouraged me to ride this event since Avon stopped their walks, so Frazer bought me a road bike and I recruited some friends (Jyll, Laura, Adrienne, Janis) and created team "Biking for Boobs".  The 60-mile bike ride was a new challenge and completely different from the breast cancer walks, but so much fun! 60 miles

2019: YSC's Tour de Pink bike ride.  Santa Barbara.  I recruited a whole new set of friends (Lisa, Lyn, Kathy) to join "Avon Patty" , Janis and I for another fun ride with team "Biking for Boobs". Janis did the whole ride with no training!   60 miles

2020: Covid almost ruined it all, but Lisa and I completed our own YSC's Tour de Pink bike ride by raising funds and cycling the same route as 2019, but on our own.  60 miles

2021: Double whammy!  

2021: YSC's Tour de Pink bike ride.  Ventura.  Lisa and I joined "Avon Patty" for an amazing ride from Ventura into Santa Barbara and back.  Patty and I finished by taking the survivors plunge into the ocean.  This was the last year YSC did a Tour de Pink ride on our coast. Sad. 

2021: Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk.  San Diego. My great friend and hiking partner Patty (not to be confused with "Avon Patty") trained and walked this event with some old and new friends.  This was the start of team "Best Breasts": myself, Patty, Fran, Laura, Mary Anne and Kim. 60 miles

2022: Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk. San Diego.  Team "Best Breasts" walked again with matching shirts, courtesy of Laura.  I fondly was nicknamed "Sticks" because I tend to use a stick, placed in my backpack strap, to hold onto, which helps with the lymphedema in my right arm.  60 miles

2023: Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk. Denver.  "Best Breasts" teammates Fran, Patty and I joined Laura in her home state to walk in the mile-high city.  Walking in new terrain was great!  60 miles

2024: Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk. San Diego.  Patty and I will join our "Best Breasts" teammate Kim in San Diego to complete another 60 miles!

2025: Susan G. Komen 3-Day. San Diego AND New England!  Who wants to join?