Catching Up With the Michigan 3-Day Coaches

Before last year’s Susan G. Komen 3-Day® Series, we introduced the local coaches from each city. These are the staff members who support the Komen 3-Day walkers and crew members all year round, answering phone calls and emails, hosting community events, assigning crew captains and juggling dozens of other tasks to make sure that the 3-Day® participants make it to their events excited and well prepared.

susan g. komen 3-day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles michigan coaches

(L-R) Ann, Jennifer and Gina

Since we gave you the coaches’ full profiles last year, we’ll delight you with just a fun update before each event this year. Michigan’s up first (you can read last year’s “Meet the Michigan Coaches” here)!

What was your favorite memory from the 2014 Michigan 3-Day?

Jennifer (Michigan Participant Coach) – My favorite part of last year’s Michigan 3-Day was the few miles that I was able to walk the route and connect with walkers. I happened to be on the route at the same time as Amy, a first-time walker whom I had talked with over the phone many times, but we hadn’t yet had a chance to meet face-to-face.

Ann (Michigan Local Events Coach) – My favorite thing in 2014 was getting a chance to see all the folks that I had met at local events all year. Seeing those people out on the route or in camp having a terrific time was so wonderful! The absolute best was when people who had been terribly nervous (about the walking, the fundraising, the camping…) made a point to tell me how great the weekend was and how happy and proud they were that they had overcome their fears and made it to the 3-Day!

Gina (Michigan Crew & Volunteer Coordinator) – It’s hard for me to pinpoint just one memory and there are so many parts of the event that I’ll always carry with me. I love seeing the camaraderie. The (pink) energy is contagious and the Michigan crew and walkers are a solid community fighting towards a world without breast cancer.

Fun facts about the Michigan Coaches – Can you guess which fun fact is true about which coach? (There are 3 facts about each coach; answers will be at the end of the Twin Cities coach catch-up later this month!)

Right after college I worked as a zookeeper at a small mid-Michigan animal park. I had the “tough” job of acclimating our new cougar kittens, which basically involved sitting in the enclosure while three rambunctious (yet adorable) young cougars climbed all over me.
When I am not living all things 3-Day, I am mom to a spirited toddler and sweet baby!
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of my favorite places and I look forward to the day when I can take an extended vacation to hike the backcountry.
I am always on the lookout for ways to make fun memories and I have participated in mud runs, color runs, the Santa Hustle and the Polar Plunge.
I love to read, and I challenged myself at the beginning of 2015 to read at least 24 books by 12/31/15. I am currently on #14.
Most evenings you can find me tuned into Bravo TV…It’s my guilty pleasure! I love all things reality television, celebrity gossip and fashion blogs.
I live in the Chicago suburb where John Hughes (famous director of several 80s “brat pack” movies) lived and set his movies. Scenes from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club were filmed at the high school my son attends.
I have scars on my right hand from a disagreement with a baboon over who got to use my watch.
In my close to 12 years with the 3-Day, I have worked in 3 different event cities but I am now proud to be back home in Michigan.

May Meet-up Round-up

We’re just days from officially welcoming summer, and we’ll fondly bid adieu to a busy spring, where the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® local coaches hosted dozens of get-togethers for Komen 3-Day walkers and crew. Check out the highlights of May’s 3-Day® meet-ups:

Michigan

May in Michigan was full of training walks. Michigan team BC Babes hosted a walk on May 2, and on May 16, many 3-Day walkers (including a particularly silly Coach Ann) came together for the Detroit Race for the Cure®. Groups also hit the Metroparks in Milford and White Lake to get their walk on, and when Michiganders weren’t walking, they were eating at meet-ups for new walkers in Utica and Ann Arbor. Missed the festivities in May? Coach Ann says, “Come join the fun in June!”

Twin Cities

Saturday, May 2 marked the Twin Cities 16-Week Training Kick-off. Walkers enjoyed a 3-mile training walk complete with a pit stop manned by Twin Cities coaches Eileen and Stephanie. Following the training walk, walkers and crew enjoyed a training workshop led by Gear Running.

Seattle

Coach Aubrey held a friendly Walk & Talk on May 6 at Green Lake Park in Seattle where she welcomed two first-time walkers. On May 16, even more Seattle 3-Day walkers came out to a Get Trained Workshop at Road Runner Sports in Kent. The folks at Road Runner provided advice about shoes and apparel, helpful discounts and even some delicious pizza.

A special highlight for Seattle 3-Day participants was Mariners Night Out on May 15. Walkers, crew members and families were among the 40,000 fans in the stadium that night (it was Fedora Hat Night, a fun and photo-friendly bonus for everyone) and the 3-Day party was easily recognizable in their special pink shirts. They even got some love with a shout-out on the jumbo screen!

Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Race for the Cure® took place on Mother’s Day, and many Philly 3-Day walkers took advantage of the opportunity to support Susan G. Komen® and get a training walk in at the same time! The 3-Day also had a booth set up where they shared info about the upcoming 3-Day.

Dallas/Fort Worth

Because the actual 24-week training schedule would’ve started on Memorial Day weekend, the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day got creative and held two “24-Week” Training Kick-off Events, actually on weeks 25 and 23. The first was on May 16 at the New Balance store in Dallas, where 35 people attended the training walk helmed by Boxing Babes team captain and training walk leader, Bernadette. The second Training Kick-off was on May 30. With the torrential rain that May brought to Texas, Coach Gayla worried that folks would have to row a boat to this event. But luckily, when 24 determined walkers arrived at the Fort Worth event, the rain miraculously stopped and everyone enjoyed a 3-mile stroll led by training walk leader Wendy. Gayla says, “I was grateful so many people braved the rain and joined us.” Most people were fitted for shoes after the walk, and Bill from New Balance shared the importance of proper shoe fit, giving everyone quite a lesson on podiatry. On May 21, there was a Get Trained workshop at RunOn! in Richardson. Lots of new walkers were there, craving more information, and after the workshop, the walkers went on a short 3-mile walk around the neighborhood. New and veteran walkers shared not only information about the 3-Day, but also loads of laughs.

San Diego

The San Diego 3-Day’s big event in May was a festive reunion held on May 2. The reunion was at Bonita Cove Park (San Diego’s Day 2 lunch location). The event began with a training walk that over 30 walkers attended, and the party that followed had over twice as many walkers and crew members show up; there were even a couple of participants who came all the way from northern California.

Attendees enjoyed 3-Day mac & cheese and yummy grahamwhiches. They also had a contest to see who could pop up a pink tent the fastest, and then another to see who could take it down first. The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time.

Coach Kim met a fun group (including one gnarly photobomber, known as the Cardiff Kook) on May 16 for a Walk & Talk in Cardiff.

BONUS Meet-up – Chicagoland

Michigan and Twin Cities coaches Jennifer and Eileen live in the Chicago area, and can often be found meeting up with other area walkers. They hosted a Walk & Talk in Glenview on Saturday, May 16 where they were joined by veteran walker Doris and newbie walker Tressa.

3-Day April Meet-up Round-up

April was a busy month for our Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coaches, who were pounding the pavement at meet-ups and training events, meeting and inspiring walkers for the Komen 3-Day events coming up in just a few months. Let’s see some of the fun and inspiring local events that our 3-Day® family held in April!

Michigan

On Saturday, April 11, walkers and crew members gathered at the New Balance store in Farmington Hills for the Michigan 3-Day 16-week Training Kick-Off Event. A beautiful (if slightly chilly) morning saw nearly 40 walkers head out on a 4-mile training walk, while crew members patrolled the route on their bikes and motorcycles. We even had a cheer station and a sweep van! After the walk, participants enjoyed some snacks and shopping.

Twin Cities

Twin Cities 3-Day coach Stephanie hosted a walker and crew Meet-Up on April 1 at Lucky 13 Restaurant in Bloomington. Five new walkers attended and got lots of great tips from our veteran walkers and crew.

Springtime temps brought these 21 walkers out on April 11 for a Walk & Talk with Coach Stephanie. They enjoyed a 6.5-mile walk around Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis (part of our Day 1 Route).

And in keeping with the training spirit, Twin Cities walkers enjoyed a Get Trained Workshop on April 18, hosted by Run n’ Fun, one of the Twin Cities’ local outfitters. Proper shoes are the most important pieces of equipment walkers will need on the 3-Day, so workshop attendees learned about proper shoe fit based on their own body mechanics, and learned that not only is comfort the key but also how the right shoe helps to prevent injuries.

Seattle

At an April 2 Get Started Meeting at Redmond Library, long-time Seattle (and other cities!) walker William Kline attended in full walking gear—his signature look. He was joined by a few brand new walkers and Tath, a very active training walk leader in the Lynnwood area.

On April 18 at Seward Park, Seattle 3-Dayers met up for a Walk & Talk with Coach Aubrey. They looped around the peninsula, which offered 2.5 miles of Lake Washington and Mt. Rainier views. The walker on the far right (Tina Marie B.) came all the way from Oregon to walk with the group!

Another Walk & Talk, held on April 30 in Renton, included a 2-mile out-and-back along Lake Washington. The group included two members of the Breastketeers and three first-time walkers.

Philadelphia

Over 30 Philadelphia 3-Dayers met up on April 18 at the Philly 3-Day 24-week Training Kick-Off. Hosted by the New Balance store in Cherry Hill, NJ, the event included a training walk and some great how-to demonstrations for packing gear and pitching a perfect pink tent. A great day!

Atlanta

The Atlanta 3-Day folks had their first Walk & Talk of the season on April 4, with wonderful training walk leader Coleen and 5 new walkers. It was a beautiful day, and it was great for these enthusiastic walkers to get some walking shoes on and meet some new friends!

On April 11, Coach Susan hosted a great Get Started Meeting with 3 new walkers and one who was thinking about registering. Susan shared, “We had terrific conversations about training as they were most concerned about how in the world they were going to walk 60 miles! After the formal meeting, we spent even more time answering questions and getting to know one another. It was great to see everyone come together and make connections with each other.”

Dallas/Fort Worth

At a Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day meet-up on April 2, Coach Gayla was joined 80-year-old veteran walker and extreme fundraiser, Ralph M. He helped welcome and inspire other walkers at Luke’s Locker in Highland Village.

Gayla was back at another Luke’s Locker location on Saturday, April 4 for a Walk & Talk, accompanied by training walk leader and team captain of Angels for the Cure, Debby R. as she led a 3-mile training walk.

April 11 was a busy Saturday for Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Dayers, starting with a 3-mile Walk & Talk with training walk leader Sheryl C. and many members of team STEPS in Plano. Later in the day, the Get Started Meeting at Methodist Hospital in Richardson drew a crowd of brand new walkers who were encouraged by amazing team captains and veteran walkers.

The Greater Fort Worth Susan G. Komen® affiliate held its Race for the Cure on April 25, and the Komen 3-Day community was well-represented (there were many more walkers not in the photo). Even folks who weren’t walking or running in the race were still showing their 3-Day spirit as volunteers (Pink Hair Guy is a popular photo op every year).

San Diego

April was actually a quiet month in San Diego, in terms of local events, but things will ramp up in May. (Next month’s Round-up will include some great shots of the San Diego 3-Day reunion held on Saturday, May 2…stay tuned!).

If you couldn’t make it to a meet-up in April, don’t worry! There are still local events for every 3-Day city in May, and more and more training walks are being added every day. Visit the 3-Day website to find a local event near you.

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