Whether you’re participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® as a fresh-faced first-timer or a wily veteran, your Participant Center on the Komen 3-Day website is packed with resources to help you prepare for your 3-Day® journey.

I could fill a dozen blog posts going into detail about all of the nifty tools on the Participant Center, which empower you in your fundraising, training and event preparation, but for today, I just want to focus on a few that will help you connect with your fellow walkers and crew members. The first two resources below can be found under the “Connect” header in the left-side navigation menu on your Participant Center homepage:

Message Boards – Do you have a question that you want to ask your fellow walkers or crew members? Are you curious about other walkers’ reasons for getting involved in the 3-Day? Are you looking for creative fundraising ideas? The Message Boards are a great place to post your questions or comments where other 3-Dayers will see them. The boards are divided up by 3-Day location, and then further divided into categories, making it easy to navigate the postings.

Friend Finder – The 3-Day Friend Finder an online database that registered participants can search to find other walkers or crew members in their area. You search the Friend Finder by zip code, and can also filter the results with other criteria, such as walking speed or gender, and if you’re looking for a team to join, you can also sort the results to find team captains with open teams. Participants don’t show up in the Friend Finder search until they’ve visited the Friend Finder page for the first time (and have checked “I am willing to share my contact information…” in their profile) so if you’re registered for the 3-Day, be sure update your Friend Finder profile so people can find you too!

Training Walk Calendar – So you’ve connected with your fellow walkers online and now you’re ready to hit the pavement and train with them. Under the “Train” heading on the left-side menu, registered participants can access the training walk calendar. This is another list that’s sortable by zip code, making it easy to find walks that are close to you. Training walks are also a wonderful place to meet new 3-Day friends.

Your Participant Center is packed with amazing resources, so take some time to log in and explore! If you ever need help finding something you’re looking for, the coaches are ready to point you in the right direction. Give them a call at 800-996-3DAY!