Cathy M. has been part of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® for more than 20 years and still shows up each November ready to walk all 60 miles.
She has collected the names of 180 people impacted by breast cancer — names she now wears on a pink cape as she walks.
“The names are of people diagnosed with breast cancer, those we have lost and the names of inspiring survivors,” Cathy said. “I walk for them. The real heroes.”
Cathy first discovered the 3-Day while sitting at a traffic light in Southern California, where she watched a sea of walkers moving down the coast. Something about that moment stuck with her. Even though she didn’t yet have a personal connection to breast cancer, she felt drawn to be a part of it.
Years later, that connection became deeply personal when her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Cathy wanted to offer her support.
“My sister didn’t even tell us about her cancer until after her surgery,” Cathy said. “After that, I got my rear off the couch and signed up.”
Cathy walked her first 3-Day in 2003 in San Diego at the age of 51 and hasn’t missed a year since.
Since then, she’s become a resource for “newbies” taking on the Komen 3-Day, even writing her own survival guide — playfully titled 60-Mile Walk Survival Guide From an Old Lady Walking — to pass along advice based on her experience. She shares it for free on Facebook.
“I like to think I get smarter with each event under my feet,” Cathy said with a smile. “The guide is just what has worked for me and my hope is that something in there could help the new walkers.”
While Cathy has never had breast cancer, she said she has spent years reflecting on what keeps her coming back to the 3-Day.
“It just puts life in perspective,” Cathy said. “It grounds me and reconnects me to the Pink Bubble. The people, the atmosphere, it’s so positive. I love meeting everyone and hearing their stories. It really is more than just a walk.”
When she’s not walking in the 3-Day, Cathy is a caregiver to her 103-year-old mother in Boise, Idaho, a role that reflects the same strength and compassion she brings to the walk every year. Her sister, Terry, is a more than 20-year breast cancer survivor, and Cathy continues to walk in her honor.
Cathy also shares her 3-Day experiences through a personal blog and has written a book inspired by her journey in the Pink Bubble. For Cathy, the 3-Day is more than an event, it’s a lifelong connection to the people and stories that continue to guide her steps.
