Becky G. smiles despite a physical setback on the Boston 3-Day

Somewhere on the latter half of a draining and hot Day 2 on the Boston 3-Day, I wandered into Pit Stop 4. There was Becky, frustrated by an aching knee.  Not an uncommon problem after so many miles, but like all those who attempt the grueling 60 miles of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day^®, there were layers of stories in her walk that never first appeared on the surface. It was only later that her reflection on the experience stopped me:

“I lost my mom to breast cancer 12 years ago.  Everyone who knew her knew how she could light up a room when she walked in. Everyone always commented on her smiling eyes, and I am lucky to have had those eyes smile upon me.”

Walker Becky G. is embraced by her daughter after walking 60 miles on the Komen 3-Day

“And so I have chosen to follow my heart, to make a choice, to join an amazing team of women, to do something about it, to accept support, to FEEL the pain, and to walk. So here I am now, several days after finishing the Boston 3-Day. I have to be honest, I wasn’t exactly prepared for this, physically or emotionally. I wasn’t ready to hear all of the stories of love lost, to see survivors walking beside me, to have strangers look me in the eye with such love and gratitude for what I was doing and say ‘Thank You’ and to feel so physically defeated that I didn’t think I could take another step. I also never felt alone. I felt the closest I have to Mom in the 12 years that she has been gone, and I know that what I was feeling this weekend was love. Thousands of strangers — walkers, crew, staff, cheerleaders — united for one cause. So we don’t have to endure another life lost, another heartbreak, or another child left behind. We believe in the cause, and we believe in each other, and we believe that this fight is worth all of the pain that we endured. I met some amazing men and women this weekend, and there is no doubt that they will be in my heart forever. This is only the first of many 3-Days.”  – Becky G, Woodstock, CT

Becky’s team finishes the 2013 Boston 3-Day