Walking 60 Miles for the Mom They Lost Too Soon

Brooke and Kelly will walk 60 miles in November at the San Diego 3-Day to honor their mom who died from triple negative breast cancer.

This fall, sisters Brooke M. and Kelly T. will walk 60 miles at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego to honor their mom, Margie, who died from breast cancer nearly 20 years ago. She was just 51.

“On the very day we cross the 3-Day finish line, it will mark the 20 year anniversary of the day we lost our mom to triple negative breast cancer. But it still feels like yesterday,” Brooke said.

The Diagnosis

Margie and her children before she died from breast cancer.

In 2004, Margie, a loving mom of three in their 20s, was recently separated after being married for 27 years when she got the devastating news.

“She sat us down and said, ‘I’m seeing a doctor,’ and I got excited. I thought that meant she was dating,” Brooke remembers with a bittersweet smile. “But she meant she was seeing a doctor for cancer, and it hit us hard.”

Her diagnosis came shortly after a mammogram.

“She had a mammogram, and a month later, on her own self-check, she found the lump,” Brooke said. “That’s why it’s so important to do self-checks, too. Mammograms are great, but you know they don’t catch everything.” Margie before her death from breast cancer

Margie first underwent a lumpectomy, then a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Through it she remained hopeful and positive.

“We honestly believed in her positivity and thought she was going to beat it,” Brooke said.

“They told us she was in remission for about one month. Soon after the cancer metastasized to her liver,” Kelly added.

But through it all, Margie was able to be there for some of her children’s most memorable milestones.

“She was there for my sister’s wedding. She barely made it to my brother’s wedding, and then she passed away six months before mine,” Brooke said. “It was really hard because those are the moments you want your mom beside you.”

Strength That Carried On

Margie ran her own business and worked alongside two of her kids while undergoing treatment. She showed up for her clients, and for others impacted by breast cancer, until the day she had to be hospitalized.

“The treatments were hard for her, but she didn’t want to show us how hard it was,” Kelly recalled. “She stayed strong for us.”

Margie and her daughters even walked a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, a memory that inspires Brooke and Kelly today as they prepare for the San Diego 3-Day.

Margie’s Marchers

Margie at a Race for the Cure event before her death.

Brooke and Kelly are walking the 3-Day in November as Margie’s Marchers—a team named in honor of their mom, whom they remember as strong, joyful and endlessly giving. As they train for their first 3-Day walk, the sisters carry a mix of excitement, nerves and deep love for their mom who is alive in their hearts, traditions and memories.

“We know she would’ve wanted to be part of this,” Kelly said. “We can’t wait to celebrate her the whole way and be with our families at the finish line.”

Donate

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.

How the Youth Corps Led Kim C. to a Career in Ministry

Kim and Jennifer C. at the Komen 3-Day with angel wings on their headbands.

For many participants, the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® is more than just a walk—it’s the start of something bigger. For Kim C., it was the beginning of a lifelong journey dedicated to service.

“I love working with youth and watching them grow through life,” Kim said. “And a big part of that is because of where I started.”

Kim’s 3-Day story began in 2012, when she joined the Youth Corps at the age of 12. The Youth Corps is a special group of young volunteers, ages 10 to 16, who support walkers during the 3-Day by offering a helping hand, cheering them on and lifting their spirits every step of the way.

Kim first learned about the Youth Corps from her mother, Jennifer, who attended an informational meeting for the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day and thought the program could be a great opportunity for her daughter.

Kim at the age of 12 with her mom in her Youth Corps sweater. “She was very shy and unsure of herself at that time,” Jennifer recalled. “But when she started on the Youth Corps, I watched her transformation begin right away.”

Kim volunteered for three years with the Youth Corps, and it became a defining part of her teenage years.

“We would go up to the walkers and ask if we could walk with them for a minute,” Kim said. “It was always mid-day, right before lunch. We got to hear their stories and connect with them, and we would encourage them to keep going because at that time of the day they’d usually be exhausted.”

Kim says those meaningful conversations left a last impression on her, not just because of what she gave but also because of what she received.

“There is something really powerful about getting outside of your own lived experiences and talking with people who’ve been through different struggles,” she said. “That’s a really formational part of life.”

Kim and her mom, Jennifer, at the 3-Day in pink hats.

Now 25, Kim has been involved in the 3-Day for more than half her life. In that time, she supported countless walkers and raised over $38,000 to help end breast cancer.

Today, Kim has dedicated her life to supporting young people. She recently earned a Master of Arts in ministry from Southern Methodist University, graduating summa cum laude. Today, she works full-time as a youth ministry associate at a Texas church, leading mission trips where youth repair houses and serve at food banks.

“For the past 13 years, I have watched Kim blossom from being a Youth Corps member to a 3-Day walker and now as a Youth Corps leader,” Jennifer said. “With each event she participates in, she grows stronger, more confident and realizes how much she enjoys helping people.”

Kim and Jennifer’s dedication to the 3-Day is also deeply personal. Kim was named after her mother’s best friend, lovingly known as, “Big Kim,” who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39 and died when Kim was just 5 months old.

“Breast cancer has always been close to home for us, and it always will,” Jennifer added.

This fall, Jennifer will walk in the San Diego 3-Day, while Kim will be leading the Youth Corps in Dallas/Fort Worth. They said they look forward to continuing a shared 3-Day journey they began together more than a decade ago.

Kim and her mom, Jennifer, at the 3-Day holding hands wearing angel wings.

Friendship, Survivorship and the 3-Day

Lesleigh & Jamie at the San Diego 3-Day camping in their pink tent.

When Lesleigh H. signed up for the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day® in 2009, she never expected it would lead to a lasting friendship. Looking for training partners, she reached out to fellow walkers in her area and that’s when she met Jamie R.

“Jamie showed up. Some other people showed up, too,” Lesleigh recalled. “But Jamie and I walked the same pace, we both have long legs, we lived in the same neighborhood. We just hit it off.”

That first training walk sparked more than just preparation for the 60-mile 3-Day. It marked the beginning of a friendship that would help carry them through some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Lesleigh and Jamie met at a training walk in 2009 for the Susan G. Komen San Deiego 3-Day.

Lesleigh and Jamie walked together in the 2009 and 2011 San Diego 3-Days, bonding over shared stories, laughter and a mutual drive to support breast cancer awareness and research. But as life got busy, they took a break from the 3-Day, never imagining that one day they’d return, not just as walkers but as having experienced breast cancer up close and personal.

A Shocking Diagnosis

In 2017, Lesleigh was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer after discovering a painful lump in her breast.

“It’s like the ground disappears from underneath you. It’s shocking,” Lesleigh said. “When the doctor told me it was just going to be a bump in the road and I wasn’t going to die, I cried because I was so thankful.”

Lesleigh underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In 2019, she returned to the 3-Day, this time walking with Jamie by her side, in her honor.

Lesleigh and Jamie at the halfway point of the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day.

But then, in 2022, Jamie received her own diagnosis.

“Because of COVID, I put off my mammogram for a year,” Jamie explained. “They found a lump that was the size of a Tic Tac, so it was very small. I was very fortunate.”

Jamie’s treatment included a lumpectomy, radiation therapy and ongoing estrogen blockers to treat her hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative invasive ductal carcinoma.

Return to the 3-Day

This November, Lesleigh and Jamie are returning to the San Diego 3-Day once again. This time, with even deeper meaning.

“Lesleigh is turning 60, it’s my third year of survivorship,” Jamie said. “So, we’re walking 60 miles for her 60 years and three days for my three years.”

Their bond has only grown stronger over time, not just through their breast cancer journeys, but through the unwavering support they’ve given each other.

“She lifts me up. She challenges me and she shows me the way, not just the fight for cancer but for other things, too,” Lesleigh said, fighting back tears. “She’s just the best person ever.”

More Than a Walk

Lesleigh and Jamie walking near the beach at the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day.

For both Lesleigh and Jamie, the 3-Day is about so much more than walking.

“It’s challenging, but also so energetic and special,” Lesleigh said. “The Pink Bubble is like a bubble of joy, beauty and camaraderie. It just energizes you. The walking is hard, but the love and support around you keep you going.”

Outside of training or walking in the 3-Day, Jamie and Lesleigh have shared other special memories together including Bunco nights, voter outreach events and birthday parties.

“When Lesleigh and I were diagnosed, I was upset,” Jamie admitted. “But I realized this is why we’ve been doing the 3-Day all along. This is what we’ve been training for. I firmly believe that what we’ve helped raise over the years has helped us become survivors.”

Lesleigh and Jamie crossing the finish line at the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day.