Ann Vondriska is a breast cancer survivor and coach for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

Terrifying. That’s how Ann Vondriska described the seven weeks it took for doctors to diagnose her with breast cancer after she discovered a swollen lymph node in 2006. 

“It was terror while I waited for the results,” recalled Ann, who was 49 at the time and a mother to three children. “I did all sorts of testing. First, they thought it was brain cancer, then ovarian, thyroid, uterine, pancreatic. It was a nightmare.” 

Eventually, the diagnosis was clear. It was breast cancer. Ann endured 16 rounds of chemotherapy, breast surgery and radiation over the course of a year and a half. She was also set to receive 40 more rounds of chemotherapy. But then, a call from her oncologist brought good news. Thanks to research funded by Susan G. Komen at the University of Michigan, a new treatment plan was developed for her type of breast cancer.  

The new regimen meant fewer treatments. Ann now needed just one chemotherapy infusion every three weeks, cutting her original treatment schedule from 40 rounds to 14.   

“It literally changed my life,” Ann said. “I had kids at home. My daughter was 8 at the time, and there was so much involved every time I had to leave the house for chemo. It was the driving there, the parking, sitting in the chair, getting hooked up to the IV and looking at everyone around you. It was a lot.”  

Ann and her daughter, Elizabeth, at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day in Chicago.

Ann took another step forward in her journey in 2010 when a friend formed a team to walk in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in her honor. “It was one of the most humbling moments of my life,” she said. The following year, Ann and her daughter, Elizabeth, joined the 3-Day themselves, and Ann didn’t look back. 

Now, she’s a coach for 3-Day walkers and is dedicated to mentoring them though training for the walk, giving advice on fundraising strategies and encouraging them along the way. 

Ann says being a part of the 3-Day is more than just walking—it’s about helping to support people who are navigating their own path through breast cancer and supporting the very research that saved her life. 

“My job now is to pay it forward,” Ann said. “For the rest of my life I am going to fundraise, coach and support the 3-Day and Komen because it changed my life.”  

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 the 3-Day events, visit the 3-Day.

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.