The Susan G Komen 3 Day Boston Recap

Walk #1 Boston, New England 2023

Wow, I can't even believe my first walk is already behind me. I am feeling good and on the flight to Denver now. In true Emily fashion I want to remember everything about these walks so I am going to blog a recap from each one. This is mostly for my moment but also I hope this series of blogs helps you to understand why I love the Pink Bubble so much. Maybe next year you’ll join me! This being the beginning of the season so I wanted to share one of the main 3 Day rituals so you understand the flow of our walk. Part of being at The 3 Day is sharing your story. Everyone has been drawn to The 3 Day for a reason. Some might even know their why yet. Here is my “why”….

I came for my first The 3 Day in 2017. I read about The 3 Day in a book and knew it sounded like the kind of walk I wanted to be a part of. I walked solo in 2017 meeting my now team, The BC Babes at opening ceremonies. I knew after my first walk I was meant to be here. I had a passion for supporting breast cancer research and advocacy. I came back in 2018 and 2019 bringing a total of 3 new walkers in those years. 2020 was a covid cancelled walk and by 2021 I had a new reason to walk. In February of 2021, at the age of 29 I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Game changer. The story was being rewritten right in front of my eyes. The reason I was walking was no longer just to support others but to gather support for myself too. I walked 3 Day Nation in 2021 and came back stronger than ever in 2022 (Or so I thought). Over the course of 2022 I would continue to have setbacks and complications from my course of treatments. I managed to train and walk successful walks in Chicago and San Diego. Returning home from San Diego in 2023 I knew that I would need all the pink bubble strength I could find to survive my very serious reconstructive surgery due to be scheduled in 2023. So I did the ultimate challenge and registered to walk all 5 walks in the 2024 Susan G Komen 3 Day series. I made a vow to myself that I would physically challenge my body to regain strength and perseverance by walking 300 miles while sharing the hardships a cancer put me through by being a voice for those not brave enough to speak up. I also committed to raising $25,000 for the fight against breast cancer. Then I would come home and finish my fight, hoping to finally close the door on my cancer journey by having my last surgery in November. 

For walk #1, Boston/New England I flew to Boston alone, this being one of the only times I have traveled alone. I will tell you I believe TSA is concerned with the lack of boobs I have because I have had to have a chest pat down at every airport so far. Traveling alone felt right. While I have never been alone on my cancer journey, my cancer is just mine. And sometimes you have to do things alone in life. I met up with two other team mates from Michigan at the airport and shared a car to the host hotel. My teammate and team captain Beth and I went to lunch at an adorable restaurant named Stephaine’s. We shared a delicious sandwich and enjoyed a couple hours of catching up on life. It is amazing how close you can be with people you only see once or twice a year at an event. I spent most of the afternoon resting in my bed and enjoying some tv. I took a walk later in the day to purchase some chocolates for the girls at the Lindt store. Birthday cake, Strawberries and cream, oh my so many flavors! We went to the hotel restaurant for a team dinner on Thursday night. We had around 20 BC Babes in Boston and it was so good to see and hug my 3 day friends. Unfortunately the weather did not look good for Friday so Thursday night the safety team made the decision to shorten Friday’s route to 10 miles and we got to sleep in until 9:30 instead of starting at 7. I called Ryan from my room sobbing. I didn’t want to walk 10, I wanted to walk 20. I didn’t want to sleep in, I wanted to get up early and spend the whole day in the pink bubble. In true fashion Wolfee talked me off the ledge and reminded me that no matter the amount of miles, the money I raised and the steps I would take were the reasons I was there. An emotional and anxious Emily tucked into bed. 

Friday I awoke early and enjoyed a quiet morning breakfast in my hotel bed. I always feel nervous on Day 1. It’s been a whole year since I took on 20 miles in one day and sometimes your body doesn’t always listen to your heart's desires.  Around 10 all 650(ish) walkers gathered in the ball room for the opening ceremony. We raise the promised flag and recite our promise together. 

“We walk because we must, we are strong because the journey demands it. Together I body and united in sprint we lay down our footsteps for this generation and the next. This is our promise, a world without breast cancer.”

And yes I cry at every walk reciting these words. This promise I first made in 2017 means so much more now that I know my daughters are 50% more likely than their friends to receive a breast cancer diagnosis. Friday started cloudy but quickly the clouds parted and we were able to enjoy some sunshine along the route. It was very humid and I found myself out walking at the pace of others. With more rain in the forecast for the afternoon I wanted to be sure to get my whole BOGO 20 miles in (Walk 10 get 10 free 😂). Overall I met plenty of new friends and heard many stories of why people were walking. I hugged current thrivers in treatment and gave thankful praises to the walkers who are walking for all survivors. Friday night we celebrated the 20th anniversary with cake and a quick game

of who has been here the longest? In total I think we had 6 walkers who had been walking for 18 years or more. Amazing! Following cake Bank to America gave out top fundraising awards. It was amazing to see these teams rally around their family members or friends. I read my camp mail while resting in the massage chairs (one of the best parts of camp!). Thank you to everyone who sent mail. Hearing your words of encouragement makes the muscles ache a little less. 

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Saturday began bright and early with a quick breakfast and a prize! While on event this year 3 Day staff has a scavenger hunt for komen swag. I happened to be a winner from Friday! Running on my winning high I got some good stretching in and on the route we went. Saturday I spent the entire day walking with my team captain and friend Beth. We walked over beautiful bodies of water, gorgeously maintained brownstone, and parks, so many parks! We saw the Gillette World headquarters, the State House, and the Cheers Bar. We ate lunch in a park where we celebrated being halfway done with the weekend. I finally got some dill pickles Saturday afternoon (very good for replenishing your sodium levels). With just a few miles left in the day we passed through the “Memorial Mile''. This is probably one of the more emotional parts of the walk as we see the smiling faces of those we have lost. The warriors that were taken too soon. The reasons we lace up and keep walking. Among these faces is friend, and teammate Tracey. When I met Tracey in 2017 she told me her cancer story’s and that of her mother’s story (a two time survivor). We walked together for those 3 years I walked in Michigan. In 2021 while I was being diagnosed I also got word Tracey’s cancer had come back. Despite her strength to fight, her body could not recover from its traumas and we lost Tracey in the summer of 2021. Tracey taught me many things along our 3 days walks, like how there is always time to stop for an ice cream cone. The rest of Saturday, despite the soreness in our feet I know Beth and I pushed on and finished Day 2 with Tracey fulling our hearts. We walk because we must. Saturday night the Youth Corp (10-16 year old volunteers) have an honor ceremony where they share why they are part of the 3 day. Then we watch a slide show honoring all the reasons the walkers are there. You see pictures of mothers, daughters, sisters, friends all the reasons we walk. Before bed I visited the Remembrance Tent and added a few names of pink sisters I have lost. I cry with the fear that one day my face, my daughters face might be on that wall. I rest in the Hope that the work we are doing makes a difference. 

Sunday is also an emotional day. Are you seeing a pattern here?  As much as you're ready to be done walking and never put tennis shoes on, you also don’t want the pink bubble to end. There are more stories and friends to meet, and the big fight, a cure feels left unfinished. Sunday was HOT. So I knew right away if I didn’t keep my pace a little faster I might run out of steam before the finish line. We got to walk over the Boston Marathon Finish Line, which was actually really cool! We walked over bridges and threw more of East Boston. There was an Italian food festival happening in Little Italy, I didn’t stop for a cannoli, what was I thinking?! We had lunch in a nice neighborhood park and laced up for the final miles of the day. To my pleasure Sunday afternoon was along the harbor and I was filled with fresh air and plenty of sun. I crossed the finish line around 3:30 hand in hand with 3 of my teammates. Closing ceremony shared the amazing news that all 650 walkers raised a total of $2.1 Million for breast cancer! There is a tribute to survivors were walkers raised a shoe in celebration of the miles they walked because of us. In inspiration of us. But you leave saying goodbye, see you at the next walk! One day I hope there isn’t a reason to keep coming back. 

As I travel to walk #2 I am renewed with a sense of purpose that the Universe gave me this unreal story to share. To be an inspiration to other young women diagnosed with cancer. My feet are rested and my heart is open to all that this trip may unfold. On to the next 60! Xoxo