A Family United: Julie G. and the “Trekkers for Tudy’s Tatas”

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I Walk For: My Daughter. My Sister. My Niece. Myself.

On the 3-Day, we hear that people are walking with and for family members all the time. They walk alongside them, in their memory, and with their family cheering from the sidelines. What we don’t always see, though, is four sisters all walking together, alongside their daughters and nieces. All as one, walking for seven years!

That’s the story of Julie G. and her “Trekkers for Tudy’s Tatas” team in Dallas/FortWorth. In 2017, she walked with her sisters Kim, Lori and Chris, along with her daughter Lindsey and her niece Morgan.

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Julie’s sister Chris first brought the family into the 3-Day bubble, walking for two years as a part of another team. Then, in 2010, Julie’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Immediately, all three sisters signed up for the next 3-Day walk, and have walked ever since in her honor.

Julie says they have all walked together simply for the “sheer joy it brings our mother. She is so humbled by the fact that we fundraise, train and walk all in her name.”

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Since that first year, their team has also added Julie’s own daughter Lindsey, and her niece.

“Walking with family members is by far the most special part of the walk. It started out with just my sisters and then it has grown to my daughter and my niece. We are a family of 18 including husbands, sons and other nieces, and to see that whole group standing with matching t-shirts along the route screaming our names and holding up posters bring tears to my eyes.

It really is a family effort. My husband and son are so supportive when it comes time to train and when the walk actual takes place. They are there every day driving around making sure to hit every cheering station along the route. But the most special part of the walk is the finish line and seeing my mother there. She knows it’s for her. We include her in the closing ceremony because she is the reason we walk.”

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Each member of the family approaches the walk differently, although they all swear by the 16-week training program. They try to train together on weekends, and Julie recommends early morning walks for quality time and cooler weather. Also, Julie says to be sure to get your walking shoes EARLY so you can break them in. All of this will have you ready to go when 3-Day weekend arrives and let you just take time to enjoy your 60-mile walk.

That is what Julie says she and her family loves most about the 3-Day: all the small moments of happiness that happen throughout the walk. Her daughter is a fan of “the silly outfits teams wear as well as the signs that husbands hold up along the way,” while Julie can’t get enough of our puppy supporters. The rest of the family loves seeing all the pit stop and cheering station themes, and they will even be hosting their own cupcake-themed cheering station this year.

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It’s a family affair from start to finish for Julie and her family, but it always comes back to the matriarch.

“My mother can’t put into words what it means to have us walk year after year. She knows it’s a sacrifice for us financially and physically and that proves to her more and more how much we love her and how proud we are to call her our mom.”

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Learn More About the 3-Day Host Cities

We are almost done with our 2017 3-Days, and we can’t believe how the time has flown! It has been an amazing few months, and we are all excited to close out our year in San Diego next week. The support and love from all our host cities has been just what our participants needed to complete their 60-Mile journeys.

To spread our excitement for our final event, and get you ready for our 2018 walks, we have made photo slideshows of some of our favorite spots you’ve seen on the 3-Day routes.

Whether you were walking in your own home town, or traveling to a 3-Day city far away, take a look below! Also, click on the city you’ll be walking in 2018 to link to our coaches’ Facebook pages. They are a wonderful resource for everything you’ll need to know about the 3-Day now and for next year.

Michigan

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Twin Cities

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Philadelphia

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Seattle

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Atlanta

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Dallas/Fort Worth

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San Diego

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What are you most looking forward to seeing on the 3-Day? Tell us in the comments below!

2017 Dallas Fort Worth 3-Day Round-Up

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The 3-Day headed south for our first 3-Day of November, and was welcomed to Dallas Fort Worth with open arms! We started our Friday morning in the home of Susan G. Komen, with a nice cool sunrise over Collin Creek Mall in Plano. Our 600 walkers and 275 crew started their journey with an inspiring and emotional Opening Ceremony led by local participants.

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Then, they were off and walking! The day began with an amazing cheer station after Pit Stop 1, led by Aldridge Elementary School. Almost every student and much of the faculty was out to cheer on our walkers as they completed their first two miles of the day.
From there, they walked through Cottonwood Park to come to lunch after a quick 10.3 miles. The walkers relaxed with a fun carnival theme, and stretched on their Mohawk Flooring mats before getting ready to hit the trails again.

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The second half of Day One was spent walking through Anderson Bonner, Churchill and Jamestown Parks so there was plenty of beautiful greenery and fun nature photo opps for our Texas walkers. There was also lots of fun at the Susan G. Komen cheering station, complete with popsicles and even a puppy cheerleader or two. The Komen headquarters team was out in full force to show our walkers just how loved they are!

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Day One ended at camp at Brookhaven College after 20.5 miles. A beautiful sunset welcomed our walkers home, and they were able to relax in the Bank of America massage chairs, as well as get in a game or two of put put golf.

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Day Two dawned warm and bright for a beautiful day of walking! The walkers cruised through their first six miles with ease, arriving at Pit Two-ville with smiles on their faces as they were greeted by cats in hats, red fishes, blue fishes and even a Lorax! It was a rhyme and photo-filled good time for all.

By lunch at Campbell Green Park, the walkers had already conquered 10.4 miles on the day. At lunch, we met our amazing Dallas Fort Worth Youth Corps members, and were cheered (or woof-ed) on by four-legged 3-Day fans from the training program of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Walkers loved stopping for a photo with these furry 3-Day supporters!

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From there, our walkers spent time under the beautiful Texas sun as they trekked through Kiowa Park, and past Pit Stop 4 at Mile 18.3 on the day. Before arriving back at camp, there were cheer stations at the gorgeous Vitruvian Park and Team Komen was on hand to welcome everyone back onto the Brookhaven College campus with another big cheering station.

Once all our walkers were home in the pink bubble at camp, we dug into mac n’ cheese to make sure we all had energy for the all-camp dance party!

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Sunday was a perfect day for walking, and our participants hit Pit One, and 3.6 miles, in no time in Preston Hollow Park. They were greeted by local supporters, and a knock-out pit crew!

From there, it was just a hop, skip and a few-mile jump to lunch at Reverchon Park. The walkers were less than four miles from the finish line as they relaxed in the shade and stretched it out with our amazing medical team.

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After leaving lunch, walkers made their way through downtown Dallas, passing the House of Blues, walking through the historic West End, and even stepping through John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza before they completed their 60-Mile journey at Reunion Tower.

After all of our walkers crossed our beautiful pink finish line, we celebrated together at Closing Ceremony. There was much to be proud of, given that our amazing 600 walkers and 275 crew members raised $1.7 million this weekend!

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Our journey is never truly done, though, as was evidenced throughout our closing ceremony. We are all still working, and walking, towards Susan G. Komen’s Bold Goal to reduce the nation’s 40,000 breast cancer deaths by 50 percent by 2026.

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As we hugged and celebrated and danced together, one message rang loud and clear; that though our feet may ache, our spirit and dedication will live forever; through aches, and pain, and blisters. We are shouting loudly and proudly that in this fight, where we seek to live in a world free of breast cancer, WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP. Thank you, Dallas Fort Worth. We are so very proud of each and every one of you.

If you’re ready to be a part of this incredible journey again in 2018, sign up now at The3Day.org/Register.

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