They’re the helpful cheerleaders on the other end of the phone call or email when you have questions or concerns. They’re the smiling faces welcoming you and your teams at meet-ups and workshops and building up community excitement for the 3-Day. They’re the guiding hands leading the crew captains and teams to greatness. That’s right, they’re your Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coaches!
As we’ve prepared to return to each of the seven splendid 3-Day locations this year, we’ve been taking a few minutes to catch up with the coaches from each event. You’ve gotten to know them pretty well over the past couple of years on the 3-Day blog and this year, instead of letting them talk about themselves, I asked their fellow coaches to do it for them!
The Atlanta coaches—Tara, Susan and Libby—are the stars of the show today! Click here to see what we knew about them already, and keep reading to see what they each had to say about each other.
Tara, Susan and Libby
Tara (Atlanta Local Events Coach)
“Tara is full of energy, funny, and totally loves the 3-Day. She truly cares about our participants and is a great resource for them. She’s an amazing listener, and will go out of her way to make sure that participants have great experiences whether it’s a training walk, meeting or the 3-Day itself. She is always able to jump in with fun ideas for our local events, and she’s the creative and crafty one who makes sure everything is planned just right. She has so much knowledge from her years of being on tour with the 3-Day, and she is so great about sharing that knowledge to ensure that everything is perfect on event.”– Susan
“Tara is exactly the motivation that our walkers need and love. She is quick and witty and always makes the best out of every situation. Her ‘get it done’ attitude makes our team dynamic and not only productive but fun.” – Libby
Susan (Atlanta Participant Support Coach)
“Susan is your go-to girl. She takes care of all of us and is the queen of follow-up. If she doesn’t have the answer she will quickly find it for you. She is kind and thoughtful and a perfect match to our trio.” – Libby
“Susan is top notch. She knows it all and it’s no surprise that if I have a question she is the first person I can go to for an answer. She hears from all of our walkers and is always on top of communicating with them and making sure they are all well supported. She always wants what’s best for them and I am so inspired by her commitment to them. She also is an all-around super co-worker and we connect on so many levels.” – Tara
Libby (Atlanta Crew & Volunteer Coordinator)
“Libby is so in touch with her crew and her captains that they are always willing to come and support us during pre-event meetings and events. They are like family to Libby and she knows so much about each of them. She is protective of what the crew needs and lets us know how they need to be supported and encouraged. As a team mate she is so fun to work with and joke with!” – Tara
“Libby is amazing at working with our crew and volunteers. The job requires incredible flexibility as there are so many moving parts and constant changes. She always stays calm, and is a true advocate for her crew to make sure that they are well taken care of. I love watching her interact with the crew, she is absolutely loved. She is also hilarious and so fun to work with!” – Susan
The Whole Atlanta Team!
Without even being asked, all three of the Atlanta coaches also had some lovely comments about the team overall.
Tara said, “I would describe the Atlanta team as all around KICK-BUTT. Supportive, in sync, jubilant, motivated and involved! We always have such a great time going out on event together and seeing our participants and mingling with them. We always go to the same Mexican restaurant on our event, we had a great time getting ready for our Komen Impact Forum and I personally truly couldn’t be more thankful for the support when I had baby Reid and the baby shower, and the endless advice and love they showed me during that time!”
“We are so lucky that we all live in the same city,” Susan shared. “My most favorite memories are our on-event shenanigans while we spend time traveling from place to place. Typically it involves me getting teased a bit (I may or may not be a whiz with the GPS), or finding some good Mexican food. No matter what it is, we always have fun together, and enjoy celebrating at the end of each season.”
And Libby said, “Our team is really a great mix of personalities and strengths. We really work so well together! We have gelled as a team from our first year together and we just seem to get better every year.”
Do you know the Atlanta coaches? How would you describe these fabulous ladies?
Moved by their fellow 3-Dayers who 
From there, they weaved down to the waterfront of Lake Washington (many stopped for incredible photos of majestic Mt. Rainier to the south) and set off across one of Seattle’s “floating” bridges to cross the lake.
On Mercer Island on the east side of the lake, walkers quickly reached pit stop 2, where they were welcomed by some cheerful lumberjacks (and lumberjills) and their big-footed friend.
From there, walkers ascended a short (yay!) but steep (ugh.) hill onto a trail which eventually exited them onto the Microsoft campus in Redmond. This is the first time that the 3-Day route has passed through Microsoft, which was exciting for walkers and the superheroes of Grab & Go B who set up there.
After exiting Microsoft, walkers picked back up with the 2015 route, heading back into Bellevue again for a short little stretch. From there, it was back into Redmond and down to Idylwood Park on Lake Sammamish. Goodies from pit stop 4 and support from friends at the last cheering station fueled walkers for the couple of miles into camp at Marymoor Park, completing Day 1’s 20.7 mile distance.
Right away, walkers who were accustomed with the previous Seattle itinerary noticed that the course was reversed out of camp, taking walkers to Sammamish River Trail and into Redmond Town Center (no more big hill to climb right out of camp! Hooray!). The walk through downtown Redmond was also changed up a bit, leading walkers to the Redmond Connector Trail and up to Redmond Way to Grasslawn Park for pit stop 1 (this lovely site has been pit 1 on Day 2 for many years).
Out of the park, walkers took a new route through residential Redmond and into Kirkland through a wooded trail and new neighborhoods. Pit stop 2 was at a new site at Spinney Homestead Park, and from there, the route took walkers down to a stretch of the Kirkland Connector Trail into Kirkland. The route through Kirkland was recognizable but reversed from last year’s course, taking walkers down into lunch at the north end of Lake Washington at Juanita Beach Park. 
By afternoon, the rain had eased up, and out of lunch, the reversed-from-last-year route continued through quaint downtown Kirkland and along the waterfront. A new little uphill stretch had a surprise at the top as walkers reached the Grab & Go and got to stroll through Google Park and campus.
From there, it was onto another section of the Kirkland Connector Trail, then another stretch of reversed route.
Pit 3 was still a tropical paradise, even in Seattle’s stormy weather. 
Walkers trekked back up and over the interstate via pedestrian bridge into the Bridle Trails neighborhood, an area with lots of lovely horse properties, then into Redmond again and back to Grasslawn Park for a cheering station this time. Benjamin Rush Elementary was our new pit stop 4, and the exit from that stop was the start of the Survivor Stretch.
This last 1.6 mile section was the beginning of last year’s Day 2 route but (you guessed it!) in reverse, downhill (ah!) and back to camp.
The 2016 3-Day season began in August in Michigan, which was the 3-Day’s 150th walk, and we’re celebrating this amazing milestone at every 3-Day event in 2016. So with glasses of yummy sparkling grape juice raised, Amber led us in a toast (followed by surprise cupcakes for everyone), and the camp show went on to recognize some Seattle participants who reached milestones of their own, including top fundraisers and local award winners. And of course, the Saturday night dance party followed with typical flair.
From UW, walkers hit the Burke Gilman Trail, but instead of going left (southbound), they went right (northbound) into Ravenna Park to Ravenna Blvd., then west to Green Lake.
The route skirted the Green Lake area and neighborhoods before arriving at our first pit stop at Lower Woodland Park. The route then moved into the Wallingford area and parts of the Fremont neighborhood. Then it was back down to the Burke Gilman Trail to Gas Works Park, which previously had been pit stop 1 but was pit stop 2 this year.
Out of Gas Works, instead of going to the Ballard Locks and Magnolia, walkers went to the downtown area of Fremont, over the Fremont Bridge to the trail that runs around the west side of Lake Union.
Lake Union Park at the south end of the lake was our new Day 3 lunch stop, and on the way in to the beautiful park, walkers were greeted by Dr. Sheri, Amber and Miguel and presented with awesome “I Am More Than Pink” superhero capes to wear for the rest of the day.
From lunch, we took a new route through South Lake Union, near where Amazon.com is headquartered (what a tour of Northwest tech companies we had this weekend!), and through downtown Seattle toward the bustling Pike Place Market. Descending the stairs down to the waterfront, walkers headed north to the Olympic Sculpture Garden for an Elliot Bay Sunday cheering station along Puget Sound before arriving at a new pit stop 3 at Centennial Park. Now, walkers were in the home stretch, coming up through lower Queen Anne and back to the Participant Finish Area at Seattle Center where we all started on Friday morning.
Amber and Dr. Sheri were our hosts again for Closing Ceremony, and they thanked our many wonderful supporters, sponsors and local jurisdictions. Soon after, we brought in the final group of Seattle 3-Dayers, our breast cancer survivors, and together, we saluted their bravery and celebrated the Seattle 3-Day’s remarkable $1.8 million raised.
The top training walk leader for the 2016 Seattle 3-Day is Tath Hossfeld. Tath will be a 33-year survivor this November, and has participated in the 3-Day 24 times in the last 13 years (she’ll be doing walk number 25 in Atlanta in a few weeks). She is the captain of the team Flamingo Road, a mentor to other walkers, and a devoted volunteer. Tath has been a training walk leader for the last 10 years and this year, she led 29 walks with 114 attendees. She is meticulous about planning her training walks and goes out of her way to make sure everyone there feels comfortable, supported, and informed while also looking for ways to make them fun for everyone. Tath also won the Local Impact Award 
The 3-Day Youth Corps are kids between the ages of 10 and 16 who come out to cheer and support the 3-Day walkers and crew members. They are required to raise a minimum of $500 in order to participate, which makes it all the more extraordinary to share that 15-year-old Lauren Simpson, a first-time Youth Corps member from Danville, CA, raised $1,905 this year. Way to go, Lauren!
Congratulations to Cathy Youngling, the top crew fundraiser for Seattle, who raised an astonishing $10,040 this year, bringing her lifetime fundraising total to $97,333. Cathy is part of the Pit Stop 2 team, and this year’s Seattle 3-Day is her 11th event in 8 years. She is captain of the team Are We There Yet? in Seattle. Cathy is also a 21-year survivor, and is Grammy to two sweet girls who love to wear pink (not because of breast cancer but because it’s pretty with their sparkly shoes).
For the third consecutive year, the top individual walker fundraiser in Seattle is Loretta Englishbee, with $26,115 raised this year. Loretta has raised nearly $400,000 alone since starting with the 3-Day 11 years ago. Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, Loretta and her Team Bee teammates were unable to join us at the Seattle event this year; her teammate Michelle and friend Kathy accepted the award on Loretta’s behalf.
And big congratulations to Valley Girls & Guys, which was both the largest team on the Seattle 3-Day (150 members) and the top fundraising team, with $320,480 raised this year. Valley Girls & Guys, captained by Tina McDonough, has raised $2,398,313 in its 8 years as a Seattle 3-Day team. Wow!
This year’s Seattle 3-Day Milestone Award winner is Randy Gangnes. Randy has been a 3-Day participant for 12 years, and all 12 of her walks have been in Seattle. She is the captain of In The Pink, and in her years as a 3-Day walker, she has personally raised over $67,400. When she’s not out training or fundraising for the 3-Day, Randy teaches first grade, enjoys singing, reading and traveling, and is an avid Seahawks fan and season ticket holder. Her husband Ron—who has also been a Seattle 3-Day walker for 12 years—told us, “Randy is shy and unassuming and will definitely be embarrassed by this attention.” Randy herself is also a breast cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with DCIS in 2003. “Komen is a way of life for us, something our family, still to this day, doesn’t understand completely,” Ron shared. “Randy is the definition of selflessness. She feels that if she can prevent just one person from having to go through what she did, then all the miles she’s walked (probably over 6,000 miles) are worth it.” Merrilyn, a close friend and long-time teammate of Randy’s told us, “Randy is my inspiration for walking in the 3-Day. I see her passion for the cause, and witness her tireless efforts in fundraising and training, and know that I want to match her enthusiasm with my own. Randy not only walks in the 3-Day, she walks the belief in Susan G. Komen all year long. She is a true ambassador for the 3-Day and everyone who knows her understands that raising money for curing breast cancer is one of her life values. Randy is absolutely deserving of this 3-Day Milestone Award!” We couldn’t agree more!
We were delighted to recognize Kathy Bressler with the 2016 Seattle 3-Day Local Impact Award. Kathy has been a 3-Day walker and captain of Sole Mates for 8 years, and has personally raised over $30,000 for the 3-Day. Like so many others, her reasons for becoming involved with the 3-Day were deeply personal: both her grandmother and mother died from breast cancer. Kathy’s involvement with the breast cancer cause has been a life-long passion, extending even further than the 3-Day; she has served as board president of Komen Puget Sound for a two-year term while holding her position as President of Franciscan Health System’s Saint Clare Hospital. Her teammate Jennifer shared, “Kathy has always been an advocate for finding a cure for breast cancer for others, never thinking that she would be the 1 in 8.” Yes, Kathy herself was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in late 2015, and not surprisingly, she faced it head-on. “Through her journey she has never taken the role of a victim and she was not going to succumb to this disease. She has spoken often of the advances that have come from funds raised through Susan G. Komen and the 3-Day, but that there is more work to do.” Since her diagnosis, Kathy committing to growing her 3-Day team even more, and this year, they were the fourth highest fundraising team in Seattle. Kathy was the Survivor Speaker in the Friday camp show in Seattle as well.