Inside the Role of a 3-Day Coach

Staci and her daughter walking hand-in-hand at the Susan. G Komen 3-Day in Seattle.

Staci and her daughter at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

Many of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coaches have a personal connection to breast cancer, which drives their unwavering commitment to supporting participants. Having walked in the events and fundraised themselves, 3-Day coaches understand the challenges participants face and are passionate about helping them power through.  

Their dedication as coaches is far-reaching. They are mentors, who guide walkers in training, fundraising and everything in between. 

Coach Staci, the San Diego 3-Day coach since 2004, explained, “Most of us as 3-Day coaches have a connection to breast cancer. We care deeply about our participants and their journey because we have experienced it in our own ways.”  

Coach Staci’s experience with breast cancer is personal, stemming from her mother-in-law’s journey.  

“She was diagnosed in 2002 with breast cancer and passed away in 2007,” she recalled. “That was six weeks before my older daughter and I walked in Seattle at my second 3-Day, and it was also my oldest daughter’s 16th birthday.”  

But Staci’s role as a coach is centered on supporting others. As the primary point of contact for San Diego 3-Dayers, she has mentored hundreds of walkers and steps in to support her counterparts who coach events in Denver, New England and Dallas/Fort Worth. 

Staci and her daughter at the 3-Day in Seattle.

The role of a 3-Day coach is multifaceted. Coaches are there to answer all types of questions from logistical concerns like what type of food will be served at the event to offering practical advice on fundraising strategies, adjusting training plans for medical challenges and simply encouraging walkers to stay the course and enjoy the journey. 

“I tell the walkers that I coach that the event is their reward. It’s their time to celebrate what they’ve accomplished,” Staci said. “It’s the ice cream on top of the cake.” 

The relationships between coaches and participants are unique and meaningful. Staci has dedicated over 20 years to coaching participants of the 3-Day. Both of her daughters have walked twice, her husband is a five-time 3-Day walker and Coach Staci herself has walked four times and raised over $10,000.  

“Because of my mother-in-law’s journey, I worry for my daughters,” Coach Staci said. “But being a coach, I also get to hear the great stories of people who are 20-year survivors, and that gives you that hope to offset the fear.” 

Through dedication and guidance, the 3-Day coaches have a longstanding history of playing a crucial role in helping participants achieve their goals while facilitating a sense of community along the way. 

The 2025 Komen 3-Day events will be held in Denver (Aug. 1-3), New England (Aug. 15-17), Dallas/Fort Worth (Oct.24-26) and San Diego (Nov. 14-16).

To register for one of our 3-Day events, visit the 3-Day.  

A First-Timer’s Journey with the Komen 3-Day

Every year, new participants join the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, and for many, it becomes more than just a breast cancer walk – it’s an unforgettable experience. Some spend months fundraising and training, while others join at the 11th hour. Regardless of when they begin, each participant quickly realizes the 3-Day is about much more than walking, it’s about being a part of a community dedicated to ending breast cancer. 

Kimian Benitez is one of those new participants. She took part in her first 3-Day last fall in San Diego and walked the event solo.  

“I was the team captain of myself,” she joked. “I always wanted to do it and I am so glad I did.” 

The night before the event, Kimian and her husband drove to San Diego, and the next morning she began her 3-Day journey. After six miles, Kimian, who was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, found herself needing to take a break. 

Kimian Benitez at the 2024 San Diego 3-Day

“I was disappointed when I got on the sweep van that took me back to the hotel, but everyone made me feel like I did great,” she recalled. “The Pink Bubble they talk about is such a positive and embracing atmosphere.” 

The 3-Day’s unique and supportive environment is what keeps people like Kimian coming back. She already has plans on walking in this year’s San Diego 3-Day and is determined to walk farther than she did the first time.  

“I don’t know anyone or have anyone close to me who has gone through breast cancer, but how I think about it is the money I raised and the effort I put in could go toward finding the cure, whether for me, tomorrow, or for someone I know and love,” Kimian said. 

To learn more about the 3-Day or to register for an event, visit the3day.org. 

Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.

A Lifelong Vigilance: 3-Day Walker Shares Her Breast Cancer Journey

Julie Staggs has always approached her health with vigilance, knowing that routine mammograms were not just a precaution, but a necessity because of her family’s history with breast cancer. Along with her mother, Julie’s grandmother and aunts have all had the disease. “For me it wasn’t a matter of if, but when,” she said.

Julie’s breast cancer diagnosis came in July 2023 after a routine mammogram. She was told she had stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma. However, a second diagnosis was coming. One tumor was found on the mammogram, while a second tumor was discovered when Julie was in surgery.

“It was shocking when they found it,” Julie said referring to the additional tumor. “It was invasive lobular cancer which is known for not showing up on mammograms.”

Julie received more unusual news when she did genetic testing and learned she was negative for BRCA inherited gene mutations.

“My oncologist was blown away by my genetic testing results. She ordered a comprehensive genetic panel to pinpoint the genetic marker that could indicate the cancer, but there was nothing found,” Julie recalled. “So, it’s not that it’s not a genetic factor, it could be that researchers haven’t found it yet.”

When Julie, a 55-year-old registered nurse, received her breast cancer diagnoses she didn’t panic. Instead, she switched on her nurse brain. “I thought to myself, ‘Okay, let’s do this and I started going through and sorting out all the things I had to do.’”

Julie decided to have a double mastectomy in September 2023 and later had additional surgeries for breast reconstruction. In December 2023 she had a hysterectomy and oophorectomy because her breast cancer was estrogen and progesterone receptor-positive, HER2-negative. “My interest was in removing any kind of estrogen that the cancer could feed off,” Julie said. She is also taking tamoxifen for the next five years to help reduce her chances of a cancer recurrence and deals with the side effects of the medication which include joint and bone pain.

Even as Julie was navigating her treatment plan, she knew she had to take action. So, she signed up and started training for her second time walking 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego. She participated for the first time in 2007 in support of her mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 30s, and in November 2024, she walked for herself and other loved ones.

Julie said despite what her body was going through, she still needed to walk in the 3-Day to lend her support to others.

“My mother is now 84 and is a breast cancer survivor. But recently a few of my sorority sisters found out they had breast cancer,” Julie said, fighting back tears. “And so really it’s the realization that this is very close to home, and I just need to do something.”

Julie’s 3-Day team, “The Rack Pack,” consisted of six teammates made up of her lifelong friends and sorority sisters some from San Diego, and others who traveled to the event from Alaska and New Mexico. They raised more than $9,000.

Julie credits a good recovery plan from her surgeries for being able to prepare for the 60-mile walk. She urged others to take part in a 3-Day event and said while it may seem daunting, it goes by pretty fast.

“You just take one mile at a time and you’re talking and chatting and looking at the great scenery and before you know it, you’re at mile 20,” she said.

The Komen 3-Day is an annual three-day up to 60-mile fundraising walk to end breast cancer held in Boston, Denver, Dallas and San Diego. Since 2003, participants have raised more than $915 million to support Komen’s work to end breast cancer. Visit www.the3day.org to register or make a donation.

Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.