Jacki P.’s 3-Day Story: 78 and Still Showing Up

Jacki P. at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

When Jacki P. was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, she was terrified. Today, at 78, she is a survivor who—after 20 years of participation—remains deeply committed to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®.

“Last year, I thought I should hang up my shoes because it’s so hard to raise fundraising dollars at my age,” Jacki said. “But when a former teammate was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, I realized I can’t stop. I need to do more.”

The Mammogram That Changed Everything

Jacki’s life changed with a routine mammogram in 1996. Shortly after the exam, she received a phone call from a breast cancer surgeon that changed everything.

“My thoughts immediately started racing,” Jacki recalled. “Will I see my children grow up? Would I be there to attend their high school graduations and weddings, or hold my grandbabies? I was terrified.”

At that time, most of what Jacki heard about breast cancer were the “horror stories” about being sick, scarring and pain from treatment. Jacki’s breast cancer was caught early, a fact she credits with saving her life.

“The lump was deep,” she said. “I never would have found it on my own.”

Jacki underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy. In August, she celebrated her 29th year of survivorship.

A New Perspective

Jacki P. celebrating 29 years of breast cancer survivorship.

Surviving breast cancer changed how Jacki viewed life. She became more mindful of her health, more grounded in gratitude for her family and more committed to paying it forward. She said she listens more, helps where she can and still treasures every day.

“Cancer becomes part of your soul. It never really leaves you,” Jacki said. “Even now, it brings tears to my eyes. There’s always that question in the back of my mind: ‘Will it come back?’”

Rather than living in fear, Jacki has chosen to keep moving forward with purpose.

20 Years of the Komen 3-Day

Jacki first participated in the Komen 3-Day in Arizona in 2005 and later joined Team Las Bombas. In 2021, the team reached the Million Dollar Team milestone. In 2025, Jacki spoke at the Denver 3-Day and achieved her personal lifetime goal of $50,000. But, she’s not done yet.

“I’ve walked for 20 years, crewed four times and have met the most incredible people,” she said with a smile. “Although I am 78, I am still in very good condition.”

Jacki P. at the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day.

This year, Jacki plans to walk the San Diego 3-Day and crew in Tampa Bay. The support and connection within the 3-Day community are what keep Jacki coming back year after year.

“There’s still work to do. That’s why I keep walking and crewing,” Jacki said. “That’s why we all keep doing the 3-Day. Until breast cancer is behind us, we’ll keep showing up.”

The 3-Day and the “Bravest Scared Mom”: Heather’s Story

Heather B. at the 2025 Susan G. Komen Boston 3-Day.

The 2025 Susan G. Komen Boston 3-Day® was Heather B.’s first breast cancer event, and it was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Over the course of three days, she pushed herself physically and mentally, formed new friendships and discovered just how strong she had become.

But just a few years earlier, Heather’s life looked very different.

She was 39, living at home on lockdown with two young children during the coronavirus pandemic, when she received a phone call that changed everything: “Heather, you have breast cancer.”

There’s no way to prepare for that kind of news. Heather was terrified, but through that fear, she made a promise to herself.

“I was going to be the bravest scared mom ever,” she said.

Connecting to Others During Treatment

Heather went through 16 rounds of chemotherapy, 28 sessions of radiation therapy, a double mastectomy and a full hysterectomy. She wanted to be as proactive as possible in her treatment. Just six months earlier, her children had lost their grandmother to cancer.

“I was determined they would not lose their mom, too,” she said.

The pandemic made an already overwhelming journey even harder. Heather’s care team required her to come alone for her medical appointments and treatments. No visitors. No hand to hold. No comfort of familiar faces. At times, she felt isolated, so she turned to online communities for connection.

“I found others going through the same thing—and those relationships quickly became my lifeline,” she said.

Heather B. and her friends at the 2025 Susan G. Komen Boston 3-Day.

Finding Purpose

Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos that comes with a life-altering diagnosis, Heather found something unexpected: purpose. By supporting others diagnosed with breast cancer, sharing what she learned through her diagnosis and “simply listening,” she found healing in unexpected ways.

In June, Heather celebrated five years as a survivor. She said people often question why she remains involved with the breast cancer community since she has already “beaten” cancer. Heather said it’s simply because, “the journey doesn’t end when treatment does.” It carries lifelong impacts including physical and emotional side effects, scars, surgeries, anxiety, hormonal changes, fear and fatigue.

“So, until there’s a cure, I’ll keep showing up— for myself, for my kids and for everyone sitting in a chemo chair feeling scared and uncertain, just like I did,” Heather added.

For Heather, showing up began at her first 3-Day walk in Boston, and will continue at the 2027 Tampa Bay 3-Day, where she has plans to walk with her sister. For this “brave” mom, the strength that once carried her through breast cancer now carries her forward to offer hope to others.

Walking Through the 3-Day Storm: Strength After Breast Cancer

Nisha at the San Diego 3-Day standing at the finish line

I was diagnosed with HER2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma at 42, and after chemotherapy and radiation my body felt decades older than my actual age. There was a point when it was hard to walk and I needed to use a wheelchair for several weeks. I quickly learned it was going to be hard to feel safe in my body again, and how difficult it would be to get back to what I once was: strong.

Two years into my breast cancer survivorship, I’m still working every day to regain strength and confidence. I reduced my stress, changed my eating habits, prioritized sleep and began practicing Pilates and exercising several times a week. I did all the things that helped me feel like the future is in my control. Some days it felt like enough, other days my body whispered that I could do more. So earlier this year, I decided to push myself even further than I ever imagined. I signed up for my first Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego. In November, I walked nearly 60 miles over the course of three days — in the middle of a powerful rainstorm.

When I registered for the 3-Day, I was hesitant. As a very busy mom to three young kids, I wasn’t sure I could commit the time to walk 20 miles a day over three days, and I worried about meeting my fundraising minimum. But once I got started, I never looked back. It became my main goal for the year and I never lost focus.

To my surprise, it didn’t take long for my family and friends to start donating. I shared my breast cancer experience on social media when I was diagnosed in 2022, so my personal network knew what I had been through. They saw me at my lowest and followed me through every stage of treatment and into survivorship. I reached and exceeded my goal three months before the 3-Day, which allowed me to focus even more on training.

Knowing others believed in me made it impossible to ever give up. I trained whenever I could, and it quickly became a shared journey. I started my training walks six months before the San Diego 3-Day and remained consistent each week. I walked with my 72-year-old dad, who has been dedicated to fitness ever since I was a little girl. I walked with friends. When our sons were at football practice, we’d walk along the track. I walked through my neighborhood while my twin boys rode their bikes alongside me. Even though I registered as a solo walker without a designated team, the experience was anything but solo.

When the 3-Day finally arrived, I felt ready — until the forecast showed a rainstorm. I knew the 60-mile challenge was going to be even harder than I expected. And it was. The first day was relatively easy for me. The energy was high and the weather was beautiful. I was prepared for the rain. I had layers of clothes, and my backpack was packed with everything I could possibly need for rain. I met so many longtime survivors who walked with me for miles here and there. By the time I completed Day 1, it had only started to sprinkle. I felt so great after racking up my first 20 miles. I enjoyed a good dinner at Crown Point Shores Park, followed by the Celebration of Champions — where all the top teams and fundraisers were celebrated for their fundraising achievements.

Nisha at the end of Day 1 at the San Diego 3-2025.

Day 2 was a completely different experience. When I woke early that morning and got onto the shuttle to the route, it was dark, cold and wet. Walkers were dressed in rain gear from head to toe. I had two pink ponchos, layers, a beanie and plastic coverings over my shoes.

The rain was steady for hours. Walking through Ocean Beach was not fun at all. I tried so hard to avoid deep puddles until I had no choice. The streets were flooded. I powered through ankle-deep puddles, and slowly up Narragansett Hill. It was hard not to give up at that point. I was drenched and exhausted. But I kept reminding myself that I had been through harder days, and then I kept going.

At some point that day, the flooding prompted a portion of the route to be closed. I walked most of the day alone. The stormy weather wasn’t the best way to talk to people along the route. I got overcome with emotion from time to time: inspired, fatigued and overwhelmed. I cried a few times, then regrouped and kept going. I kept telling myself that I could do it, that I had to do it, that I wanted to do it.

The last section of Day 2 was brutal. The wind and rain were relentless along the bay. I remember clutching onto my poncho because it felt like it was going to get blown away. I was soaked. My tears mixed with rain drops as I clocked in my 16th mile for the second day.

Once I sat down in the shuttle to go back to the hotel, my body shut down. I could barely walk and needed help getting down the steps to exit the bus. I was starving, but not able to walk around to get food at the hotel. I called the front desk for help, and they were nice enough to have the restaurant deliver a pretzel and grilled cheese to my room. I took a hot shower, massaged my legs and feet, took some medicine and napped for three hours.

When I woke up, I went downstairs to the hotel ballroom. The 3-Day medical crew had set up inside and provided physical therapy. They worked on my calves and hip and treated the painful blisters on my toes. I was incredibly grateful.

On Day 3, I woke up feeling surprisingly strong and ready. Along the Mission Boardwalk, I took out my phone and recorded video of the beautiful weather. I also Facetimed my husband and my three kids at home. I wish they could have been on the route with me, especially because they were with me every step of my breast cancer journey. It was amazing to share a little piece of the 3-Day with me on that call. As I walked, I reflected and listened to pieces of conversations happening around me. There were stories of loss, survival and thriving decades after diagnosis. It was heavy and beautiful all at once.

Nisha on the last day of the 2025 Susan G. Komen 3-Day

As I crossed the bridge toward the final mile back to Crown Point Shores, a stunning double rainbow appeared over the bay. I couldn’t help but smile. It felt like a symbol of hope after hardship, much like my own journey with breast cancer.

Crossing the Finish Line brought overwhelming relief and gratitude. I thanked my body for carrying me through. During the Closing Ceremony, I walked into the tent hand-in-hand with another survivor I had met along the route, standing shoulder to shoulder with other survivors as the 3-Day community applauded.

A rainbow at the 2025 San Diego 3-Day.

When I exited the tent, my parents were there. They drove up that day from Los Angeles to surprise me. Their warm hug was exactly what I needed.

Those three days in San Diego were tough, and I am processing a lot of it. The experience was truly life-changing for me, and I can’t wait to do it again. Since then, a lot of people have asked me about the 3-Day. I invite them to join me for a walk so I can tell them all about it. I will always be grateful to the 3-Day for giving me a special place to reconnect with my body. The challenge taught me to trust my body again. It reminded me of where breast cancer took me and shone a light on how far I’ve come.