Tag Archives: memorial mile

10 Years Behind the 3-Day Camera 

3-Day photographer Michael Der at the closing ceremony of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

At the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, participants aren’t the only ones covering miles each day. For the past 10 years, Mike D. has been right there alongside them — camera in hand, capturing the moments that define the Pink Bubble. 

Walkers at the 2023 Susan G. Komen Denver 3-Day.

Year after year, Mike travels from his home base in San Francisco thousands of miles from one 3-Day city to the next. He is tasked with taking thousands of photos in hopes of capturing the moments that matter the most. 

Along the way, he’s often invited into some of the most personal and emotional parts of the event. 

“The 3-Day has really helped me understand participants’ perspectives and gain a sense of empathy for what they’re going through,” Mike said. “At Memorial Mile, people have asked me to take their photo while they are remembering a loved one. Even in the middle of a moment like that, they welcome me in.” 

3-Day photographer Mike D. at the closing ceremony of the Komen 3-Day.

His journey to becoming such a trusted presence at the 3-Day didn’t start with a personal connection to breast cancer. Instead, it began with a willingness to step into something new. 

“I have no personal connection to breast cancer,” Mike said. “I felt like maybe Komen should hire someone who has a deeper connection to it. But I’m grateful for whatever reason they chose me.” 

Getting the Job Done 

Working solo at the 3-Day, Mike walks each day alongside participants and logs close to 10 miles daily while carrying nearly 30 pounds of equipment.   

“I usually have about five different lenses, two camera bodies and some external lighting just in case I need it,” he explained. “I’d honestly bring more if I could. I’m always thinking of ideas and ways to capture walkers in the best light.” 

Traveling from city to city, Mike also has to be prepared for the unexpected, including lost luggage. 

“I can lose all of my clothing and my toiletries and still do the job,” Mike said with a chuckle. “But everything I need like my hard drives, card readers, memory cards, cameras and lenses stay with me at all times.” 

Beyond the Lens 

For Mike, capturing the 3-Day is as much about logistics as it is about storytelling. 

“I have to keep moving to follow the story of the day,” he said. “I’m shooting for the people who are there, for the people that don’t know the event exists and for the story itself. I’m balancing all these motivations at the same time.” 

The constant movement and the emotional energy of the participants make the 3-Day unlike anything else he’s photographed. 

 “At the end of the event, my battery is depleted,” Mike said.” “But it’s such a blessing to be around the Pink Bubble energy. I’ve made friendships and connections at the 3-Day that just happened organically.”  

Those connections are what stay with him long after the events end. 

“People share their stories with me, even when they don’t have to,” Mike said. “It’s something I never take for granted, and it’s truly an honor to be at the 3-Day for them.” 

3-Day photographer Mike D. poses with a survivor at the Komen 3-Day.

Since 2015, Mike has photographed more than 40 3-Day events. And what started as a freelance job has grown into something much more meaningful. 

“The 3-Day has provided me the opportunity to grow,” he said. “I’m naturally an introvert, but this experience has pushed me in ways I didn’t expect. I’ve learned how to connect with people, even if it’s just in small moments.” 

Mike photographs a wide range of events, including obstacle course races, 5Ks, marathons, weddings and portrait sessions. But he says there is nothing quite like the 3-Day. 

For more information on the 3-Day, visit the3day.org. 

 

 

 

Heather’s Story: Honoring a Loved One on Memorial Mile

Heather Bryan walks in the San Diego 3-Day in memory of her cousin-in-law, Kelly.

There’s a one-mile stretch of the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day® that’s especially bittersweet for Heather B.—Memorial Mile. 

Memorial Mile is a powerful part of every 3-Day route where walkers pass signs honoring those who have died from breast cancer. Each sign features a person’s name and a photo, placed there by loved ones who are walking in their memory. It’s both beautiful and emotional, reminding walkers exactly why they’re participating. 

For Heather, that mile carries a deeply personal meaning. 

“That last mile on day two is the hardest mile for me,” Heather said. “It is difficult turning the corner and seeing Kelly’s picture there on Memorial Mile.” 

Road to the 3-Day 

 In 2014, Heather set a personal goal to participate in 14 walking events as a way to prioritize her well-being.  

Around the same time, her husband’s cousins, Kelly and her sister Tracy, were thinking about walking the 3-Day in Arizona. Although they didn’t end up walking that year, they joined Heather at another breast cancer event in Central Oregon. 

Shortly before the event, Kelly had to undergo a biopsy after her doctor suspected breast cancer. 

“I encouraged them both to come to the event still, and they did,” Heather said.  

During the walk, Kelly connected with other participants and members of the breast cancer community. Just a few days later, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. 

After Kelly’s diagnosis, Heather set a new goal: she wanted to walk in the 2015 Seattle 3-Day the following year, in her honor. Even though Kelly couldn’t be there physically, she supported Heather every step of the way. 

“Throughout the walk, she and I were exchanging text messages, and she was giving me words of encouragement,” Heather recalled.  

Kelly responded well to treatment and then went into remission.

“I decided to come back to the 3-Day in 2021 and walk in San Diego when her cancer had come back and it wasn’t responding to treatment,” Heather explained. “She passed in August 2022.”

That November, Heather walked for the first time in memory of Kelly at the San Diego 3-Day. She has continued to walk in her memory and placed a sign for Kelly in the Memorial Mile in 2023 and 2025. She will do so again this year. 

“It was really hard that first year when I saw her smile on the Memorial Mile sign,” Heather said. “But the support from the Pink Bubble is absolutely amazing.” 

That experience deepened Heather’s sense of connection to everyone honored along that mile. 

“These are people’s loved ones that others are walking for,” Heather said. “I make it a point when I’m walking into camp at night to say every person’s name on every sign and recognize every person that is there.”  

Heather B. and supporters at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day

Walking for Many 

This year, Heather will walk her sixth 3-Day in San Diego as “Team Kelly.” Over the years, her brother has joined, and she has walked alongside other friends she met at the 3-Day. 

With every event, her passion for the Pink Bubble continues to grow. 

So does the list of people she walks for. 

“I carry a running list of names with me on all the 3-Days, whether they are survivors or they have passed away,” Heather said. “I want to honor every one of them.”  

 To learn more about the 3-Day, visit the3day.org.