“My mom was more than her diagnosis; she was a beacon of strength, love, and compassion to everyone who knew her.
“At just 34 years old, she discovered a small lump during a self-examination and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the fear and uncertainty, she faced her mastectomy and six months of chemotherapy with courage, all while caring for my 6-year-old sister and me, a 2½-year-old, and supporting my dad. Her strength and resilience saw her through, and after treatment, she was declared cancer-free and entered remission.
“True to her giving nature, once she regained her strength, my mom began volunteering at Victory in the Valley in Wichita, Kansas, helping other women navigate their own battles with breast cancer. However, in her fourth year of remission, the devastating news came: her cancer had returned.
“For five more years, my mom faced this relentless disease with grace, undergoing six different treatment protocols. She lost her hair and nails, but never her spirit. Even as a nurse, fully aware of the uphill battle she faced, she focused on teaching my sister and me about life, ensuring that we felt as normal and loved as possible despite her struggle.
“On November 2, 2000, at just 44 years old, my mom passed away. While she is no longer with us physically, her legacy of strength, kindness, and unwavering love lives on through my sister and me. We strive every day to carry forward the values she instilled in us, honoring the extraordinary woman who taught us what it means to live fully, love deeply, and persevere through even the most difficult challenges.”
“My friend, Sonia, is a survivor. She asked me to join her in this experience and I couldn’t be more grateful to have walked alongside her and our incredible team, STEPS. Being surrounded by such inspirational people—men and women who have given years of their lives to this cause—was deeply moving. Walking alongside people who were on their 36th walk or were tackling all four events this year was remarkable. It left me feeling like I’ll never be able to let a year go by without being involved in some way. Whether walking, cheering, or volunteering, I know I want to be part of this incredible community. Seeing the strength and resilience of the survivors and hearing their stories made a profound impact on my heart. Their courage is something I’ll carry with me always.”
In 2008, Rae J.’s sorority sister-turned-best friend, Terry H., signed up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® after seeing an advertisement on TV. Although she didn’t know anyone at the time who had been affected by breast cancer besides Rae’s mom, a 16-year survivor, Terry knew right away that she wanted to walk. She began raising money and recruiting others to join, but it wasn’t easy. “It was very intimidating to have to raise $2,300; asking people for money was new. It was even more intimidating when I explained we had to walk 60 miles; in fact, people said I was crazy,” she shared.
Ultimately, Terry raised the money and walked solo in D.C., crying at times when she found herself alone. However, in true Pink Bubble fashion, Terry made new connections and was so inspired that upon returning home she talked her friends into signing up, Rae included. In 2009, Team Keeping Abreast was born with five walkers and three crew members, including Terry’s dad and his wife, Terry and Rae’s husbands, Chris and Bob, Terry’s niece, her niece’s roommate, and Rae’s sister-in-law. That year, they began carrying a banner with them for each walk where they encouraged other participants to write the names of survivors and those who have been affected by breast cancer.
“We kept our traditions going from year to year: the banner, wearing team shirts on day three, holding up our fists in team pictures, and a shoe circle. The young girls in our team video are all now walkers who, back then, couldn’t wait to be able to participate. Rae’s daughters were first in 2016, when Cameron joined as a walker and Caroline joined the Youth Corps until she was old enough to walk. Next were Rae’s nieces, Abbey and Melanie who joined Youth Corps and are now walkers.”
Team Keeping Abreast walked every year until the Komen 3-Day was no longer offered in D.C. when they decided to crew in Philadelphia. Unsure of how to raise money and afford travel, they missed the following two years. Over time, they kept learning of more and more people who had been diagnosed and when Rae was diagnosed in December 2015, their team got their walking shoes back out and returned to Philadelphia in 2016. That year, they recruited another one of their sorority sisters from Sigma Sigma Sigma, Stacey and Rae’s sister, Dawn. “We walked again and that was the first time she was able to easily convince me to walk with them,” shared Dawn.
In 2016, Rae walked her sixth and final 3-Day® as a Stage IV breast cancer thriver. She gave a speech at the Opening Ceremony, saying “I have walked the 3-Day five times in honor of my mom, a breast cancer survivor and in memory of those we have lost. Who would have thought it would happen to me? Yet here I am having been diagnosed this past December with Stage IV breast cancer. So, this year, I’m also walking for myself and continue to look for the cures so my daughters don’t have to walk for the very same reason. I’m Rae, and I am the 3-Day.”
Rae was beloved by her friends and family and loved the 3-Day more than anything else. Her friends describe her as:
Funny — she loved to laugh, always had a smile
She was the life of the party, the last one to go to bed and the first one up in the morning
She made friends everywhere and kept in touch with all of them
She was an active member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma (Tri Sigs) sorority both as an undergraduate and alumna
She played the trombone in her high school and college marching bands
She had a passion for tennis and enjoyed playing in multiple leagues and tournaments
She knew the words and dances to every song from John Denver to Kid Rock to Run DMC
She was a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers
She was an accountant by trade but focused on family and friends
She loved holidays and events, including Halloween, the 3-Day, St Patrick’s Day, Christmas, and Easter — all the holidays were so celebrated, and she decked everything out accordingly
She loved getting ready for the 3-Day — the pinker the better!
We could pick up and go anywhere or we could sit on the couch for the entire weekend
She was very passionate about all things in her life
She was a fantastic mother, wife, friend, sister, aunt and daughter
She was a wonderful everything
“Rae fought until the very end. I went to chemo with her on September 27, 2017 and she passed away two days later on September 29, 2017,” shared Terry. “Throughout that year, as Rae’s condition worsened, we didn’t know if we were going to be able to do the walk. The short plan was that the team would still walk, Bob and Chris would crew, I would stay with Rae, and we would possibly drive from their new home in Arizona to San Diego and cheer on the walkers. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it that far but after Rae passed away, we all got ready for San Diego. It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, so we did the walk, and we all spent the holiday together that year. It was good for closure, actually.”
In 2019, Rae’s daughter Cameron spoke at the Opening Ceremony as a tribute to her mother and her husband Chris walked for the very first time. “It was the last walk Rae walked, and I wanted to walk in her footsteps. I did all 60 miles, no sweeping. It was a great healing event,” he shared. Each year since her passing, the team walks with Rae’s shoes attached to their backpacks and their banner adorned with a photo of her for all 60 miles. Since then, three teammates including Rae’s sister Dawn have been diagnosed and are survivors whose names are proudly written on the banner.
This year, Team Keeping Abreast joined together to participate in the 2024 Denver 3-Day, wearing matching jerseys as they crossed the finish line on the seven-year anniversary of Rae’s passing. As they set out on the route for Day 3, a route safety crew member was singing Good Morning, Good Morning, a song that Rae was known for singing each day. The team walked past in awe and, after reflecting, turned around to ask him for a video. Though her two daughters, Cameron and Caroline, couldn’t make it, they spent the day together and were overcome with emotion seeing the video of the crew member singing their mother’s song.
“From there, the story is pretty clear,” shared Terry, the team captain and Rae’s best friend. “We will forever be 3-Dayers. I promised Rae I would continue until there are cures, like many others scorned by the disease.”
In 2005, Vivian O.’s beloved Mom lost her fight with breast cancer. In her grief, Vivian discovered the power of the Suan G. Komen 3-Day®. Her journey with the Komen 3-Day started in Tampa Bay and has continued for more than 30 events since 2006. In the last 18 years, she has traveled to various cities, walked many ‘Komen miles,’ worked on different crews, met hundreds of people, camped out, used port-a-potties, and found a safe place amidst all the pink to heal and grow.
Vivian and her mother, Adela, 1997
“Twenty months. That was all the time my mom had after her diagnosis before the cancer took her. I was left with emotions and feelings I didn’t know what to do with. When I saw an advertisement for the Tampa Bay 3-Day, I decided to join as a crew member. That one decision helped in a way I will forever be grateful for because it gave me a purpose, a way to honor my mother, and a way to help in the fight against breast cancer. So, what does the 3-Day® mean to me? It means community, it means belonging, it means commitment. It means cheering the last walker into camp, 3-Day macaroni and cheese, route arrows, and seas of pink. However, the most important thing the 3-Day gives me is an outlet to process my grief with people that understand my loss in a way others do not. Cancer takes a toll on families and grieving the loss of someone important is hard and lonely, but the 3-Day taught me it doesn’t have to be done alone and there are moments when all you can do is walk. So, if you find yourself in a similar situation, my advice is to find yourself a 3-Day and start walking!
“Over the years, I have been both a walker and a crew member and have enjoyed both experiences immensely. As a crew member, I have been on different road crews, including route safety (motorcycle), route hydration, sweep and for the last several years, I have focused on route marking, which is the crew that lays down the route the walkers will take each day. There is so much I enjoy about it—the camaraderie, talking with and learning about each person, and hearing everyone’s stories as to why they crew. I enjoy being part of the walk’s backbone because all the crew teams together make up the foundation of any 3-Day. I love knowing that I’m one person amongst many that provide services and support to assist the walkers in being able to do their part in walking, fundraising, and helping Komen be a leader in cancer research and medical advancements. I enjoy the physical nature of crewing, the hard work, and having a singular goal for the duration of the 3-Day. I enjoy the energy that is put out by the Pink Bubble, with the traditions and structures that are so familiar and dear to me after so many years and events. And with each mile I walk, each dollar I fundraise, and each time I crew, I’m doing something, no matter how small, to help in the fight against breast cancer and bringing critical services to people that need it. In doing so, I honor my mom and that is what I’m most proud of.
“My mom was from Spain, and so I will leave you with a saying she used to tell my sisters and I all the time, and considering what the 3-Day does, I felt it was appropriate. ‘Pisa con el pie derecho’ which translates to ‘step with your right (best) foot forward.’
“There is strength in walking with a group of people in the same direction for the same cause, because EVERYONE deserves a lifetime. So, whether you’re a walker or a crew member or support someone, remember to always step with your best foot forward, one ‘Komen mile’ at a time.”
