The San Diego 3-Day Coaches Talk About…The San Diego 3-Day Coaches!

They’re the helpful cheerleaders on the other end of the phone call or email when you have questions or concerns. They’re the smiling faces welcoming you and your teams at meet-ups and workshops and building up community excitement for the 3-Day. They’re the guiding hands leading the crew captains and teams to greatness. That’s right, they’re your Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coaches!

As we’ve prepared to return to each of the seven splendid 3-Day locations this year, we’ve been taking a few minutes to catch up with the coaches from each event. You’ve gotten to know them pretty well over the past couple of years on the 3-Day blog and this year, instead of letting them talk about themselves, I asked their fellow coaches to do it for them!

The San Diego coaches—Kim, Staci and Nanette—are the stars of the show today! Click here to see what we knew about them already, and keep reading to see what they each had to say about each other.

Staci, Kim, Nanette

Kim (San Diego Local Events Coach)

“I first met Kim at a 3-Day training walk leader training that I was hosting here in San Diego. She was signed up for her very first 3-Day and already willing to take the next step to guide others in their journey. That’s Kim – always willing to jump in with both feet! She is chock full of positive energy, with a radiant smile that reassures you it’s all going to be okay, and she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty and is a quick and creative problem-solver.” – Staci

“Kim has been my partner in crime as we tag team various tasks and events across the country. She’s great at cultivating relationships with participants and encourages teams to grow. Kim’s dedication to her own team is amazing and she will do anything for you, even loan you her car if yours won’t start.” – Nanette

Staci (San Diego Participant Support Coach)

“Staci keeps us on track and is highly knowledgeable and organized. She’s the anchor to our team as she covers home base when Kim and I are out of the office. Staci has deep relationships with so many of our participants and we’re all grateful for her ability to make everyone feel super special.” – Nanette

“Staci has a passion for the 3-Day that I have admired from the first time I met her. I am so taken by her kindness, and I owe most of what I know about the 3-Day to Staci. Staci is a quiet but mighty force with an incredible knowledge of everything 3-Day. She is soft spoken, gentle, kind, quietly funny and so smart. Staci is incredible at helping all of our travelling participants and our local ones with every question they can come up with. She is calm, sweet, caring and so knowledgeable!” – Kim

Nanette (San Diego Crew & Volunteer Coordinator)

“Nanette is energetic, outgoing and a tiny yet mighty leader. She couldn’t love her crew more and it shows with every interaction. Nanette has a knack with the crew and can manage all the moving parts with style, grace and a great sense of humor. And often she needs that sense of humor during the event. I love that we get to work and play not just for the San Diego 3-Day, but also as travel companions while staffing other 3-Days. I love laughing with her and always looking for new adventurous places to eat! It’s kind of a thing for us to find great places to eat in each city.” – Kim

“Nanette has a calm and capable demeanor that helps keep our team well-grounded. It’s clear on the event that our crew members feel empowered under her guidance and that they fully trust her intuition. Nan and I share a love for the excitement that comes while cheering walkers onto the route each morning from camp!” – Staci

Do you know the San Diego 3-Day coaches? How would you describe these fabulous ladies?

Male Breast Cancer: Rare but Real. Meet the Gillers.

Lee and Kathy Giller have been married for 35 years, making their home in Akron, Ohio. Lee and Kathy’s story is similar to many in our 3-Day community: a strong, loving partnership, an inspirational fight, and a family forever changed by a breast cancer diagnosis. However, there’s one unusual twist to this story. It’s not Kathy who has breast cancer—it’s Lee.

“Lee was first diagnosed in 2005 after feeling a small lump in his breast. Even though we knew men could face breast cancer, it didn’t occur to either of us that this is what he might have. In fact, he first went to a dermatologist thinking the lump was just a cyst,” said Kathy. “The day Lee came home and told us that he had breast cancer, we and our children just huddled in embrace and cried. Cancer is still such a frightening word and is fraught with so many dark thoughts. But once we got past the initial shock and fear, we circled our wagons and began the fight of our lives.”

Like many who face the same diagnosis, Lee had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. As Lee was finishing up his treatments, his daughter Pamela asked if he wanted to join her for a breast cancer walk. “At first, I was a little offended that Pam didn’t ask if I wanted to participate with them,” said Kathy. “But then she explained that the walk was 60 miles and you camped out and I knew why I wasn’t included! This was something far out of my realm. But it didn’t take me long to decide that if Lee could go through everything he had faced, then I should be able to walk 60 miles and even camp out.”

kathy-and-lee-giller

While the thought of walking and camping were daunting for Kathy, she was most concerned about the fundraising. It’s no secret that at the 3-Day, we ask you to raise $2,300, an ambitious but reachable goal, and an amount that makes a huge impact in the fight against breast cancer. Luckily, Kathy said that fundraising was the easiest part, thanks to the generosity of family and friends. “We’re often asked how we raise so much money and the answer I always give is that like breast cancer, I’m relentless. I ask everyone, I’m persistent, and I always express our heartfelt gratitude. Fundraising is nothing more than a conversation, sharing your personal story. If you are compelling and sincere, people will respond.”

Just six months after Lee finished treatment, team Breast Man Walking walked 60 miles in the Boston 3-Day, using the slogan “Male breast cancer: Rare but Real” to spread awareness with every step. The Gillers have been walking since 2006: with family, their children, Pamela, Annie, and Jay, and a dear friend, Nancy Schrader, whom they met when she was walking on the 3-Day solo.

The Gillers registered for the 2016 San Diego 3-Day, which would mark their 19^th walk, but unfortunately, the Gillers will not be able to join us us in San Diego this year. Since his recurrence in 2012, Lee is Stage IV and now fighting cancer in his lungs, bones, liver and brain. While we’re walking on the San Diego 3-Day, the Giller family will be close to Lee’s side, but they are hopeful to return to the 3-Day next year.

Susan G. Komen walkers gear up and take on Day 1 for breast cancer awareness.

After Lee’s diagnosis, he decided to have genetic testing. Being male, aged 48, and Jewish were all red flags that his cancer was hereditary. Lee learned that he was BRCA positive, which meant that there was a 50% chance his three children could have the same mutation. At first, only his daughter Pamela wanted to be tested. She discovered that she also had the same BRCA1 mutation. She was monitored very closely, beginning mammograms and breast ultrasounds at the age of 25. “Then one day when she was just 28 years old, we received a call that no parent could ever imagine. She said, “Mom, I have some good news and some bad news. I have breast cancer, but it was caught early.”

Pamela had a bi-lateral mastectomy but did not need further treatment, and just this past year, had a preventative removal of her ovaries, called an oophorectomy. “Once Pam was diagnosed with breast cancer, our other two children immediately understood how real this disease was. They were both tested for the BRCA1 mutation. Our son has it but our other daughter does not. Unfortunately, there is no protocol for screening men who are BRCA-positive. Self-exams and clinical breast exams are the only recommendations,” explained Kathy.

Kathy’s dear friend Nancy describes Kathy as unstoppable. “Being a co-survivor for both Lee and Pamela has been a labor of love. She will do anything for them, and does. She is passionate about her fundraising because she wants a cure!” said Nancy. Kathy is applauded in the 3-Day community as a fierce advocate for male breast cancer awareness, and has raised a whopping $340,000 since 2006, and over $50,000 this year alone. Kathy’s team has raised almost a half a million dollars since 2006. As Lee’s primary caretaker, Kathy, along with Lee and her family, have made enormous contributions, and not just in fundraising. Kathy avidly encourages the inclusion of the word “men” anytime women and breast cancer are mentioned, and these victories have been evident to those who are close to this cause.

“For those people who think not enough has been done to advance breast cancer research, I would say that of course, we always need more. We still haven’t found the cure. But we have come a long way and Lee is living proof of that. When he was diagnosed with his recurrence 4 years ago, he was told that the average life span would be about 26 months. He’s still here. He still has many treatment options. This would not be the case if it weren’t for organizations like Komen and others who have dedicated themselves to fighting this disease.”

While it is both tragic and unfair that Kathy’s family has been so personally hit by breast cancer, we know that her contributions, while working alongside her family, have changed the public awareness of breast cancer in innumerable ways. We are continuously grateful to warriors like Kathy, Lee, Pamela, Annie, Jay, and Nancy for coming together, to shine a light for families in their darkest times. We all long for a day when breast cancer is just a thing of the past, and new patients can be treated quickly, effectively, and cured. But until then, Kathy reminds us that while we have made so much progress, we must still stay and fight, because: “Breast cancer is an equal opportunity employer: any age, any gender, any color. Be diligent.”

Susan G. Komen walkers gear up and take on Day 3 for breast cancer awareness.

Note: We on the 3-Day were sad to lose Lee to his battle with breast cancer in 2017, but we are happy to continue to share his legacy of strength. We walk for Lee.

San Diego 3-Day – 2016 Route Update!

Last year on the 3-Day® blog, we shared some detailed “Insider’s Peek at the Route” posts with you. We pulled the curtain back on the overall process of planning and executing a 60-mile route, and then got even more in-depth with each individual 3-Day walk’s route.

This year, we didn’t need to dive quite so deep, since most of what we shared last year still applied to the 2016 routes. But updates happen every year, in every 3-Day location, so we definitely wanted to keep the 3-Day community looped-in with the changes that have been made to the 3-Day routes for 2016. We’ve also brought in members of the 3-Day Advisory Council to share their thoughts about this year’s route changes. These participants stand as the “voice” of the 3-Day community and their input has been instrumental in strengthening the communication and camaraderie between Komen and the 3-Day family, so we’ve been thrilled to have their insight on our route updates.

Here we are, at the last route update of the year! We’ve already shared updates for Michigan, Twin Cities, Seattle, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Dallas/Fort Worth. That leaves San Diego, the finale of the 3-Day season and the star of today’s post!

Need a refresher about what the San Diego 3-Day route was like last year? Read our 2015 “Insider’s Peek” post here.

New for 2016 – I spoke with Emily, the Event Planning Manager for the San Diego 3-Day, and she was happy to share some details about this year’s San Diego 3-Day route. She told me that Day 1 and Day 2 are the same as they’ve been the past several years, which means gorgeous time along the shoreline and in some of San Diego’s nicest neighborhoods. And yes, that also means there are still hills aplenty on the San Diego route, with each day featuring one significant hill (along with some other smaller ones along the way). Emily wanted to remind walkers specifically about Day 1’s hike: “On Friday, walkers climb the big hill through the Torrey Pines Nature Reserve, and this is a good time to remind walkers that certain things are strictly prohibited while in the Reserve: food/food wrappers; feathers (boas); balloons; playing music. We want to be able to return to Torrey Pines each year, so it’s really important that walkers respect this special, protected area.” Luckily, pit stop 2 is located right outside the Torrey Pines Reserve, just before the hill, so you will be able to drop any restricted items there and pick them up back at camp. (We’ll likely have some of our adored San Diego bike cops there to remind you about the restrictions, too). Emily added, “The Torrey Pines hill climb is definitely challenging, but that section of route is a great time for walkers to enjoy the beautiful, hushed surroundings while reflecting on their own journey or a loved one’s journey with breast cancer. Since you have to be quiet there anyway…”

As for changes to the rest of the 2016 San Diego route, there are a few updates in store on Day 3. “We heard your feedback and are bringing back the section of route that goes through Hillcrest on Sunday,” Emily shared. “We are also returning to Balboa Park, but a different part than past years (we’ll go through the west side of the park instead of the east side where we’ve walked before), and we will be doing a short loop through the quaint and unique neighborhood of Little Italy.” Walkers who have trekked San Diego before have come to know (and not exactly love), a certain tedious section of route along a riverside trail near camp, which in past years, we had to repeat on Saturday and Sunday. But no more! “We’ll still walk that section on Day 2, but for Day 3, I’ve found a way to get around and avoid walking the dreaded ‘riverbed’ section to Old Town.” Hooray! Beyond that, San Diego 3-Dayers will enjoy having the Participant Finish Area AND Closing Ceremony at beautiful Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego.

In Their Words – Here’s what Anthony, Tina, Marianne and Rainy, four of our 3-Day Advisory Council members, had to say about the 2016 San Diego update:

Anthony (9-time crew member) anthony Anthony, who lives in Arizona, has been part of the Route Safety crew in various 3-Day cities for nearly a decade, and he is excited about crewing in San Diego for the first time this year. “Since I’m new to the route, I did inquire with some past Arizona walkers who have done San Diego, and all the feedback has been positive.” Even for experienced veterans, it’s difficult to pick a favorite part of the beautiful San Diego route, and for newbies, anything is possible! “I can’t say personally what my favorite part will be, but looking at the pictures, it has to be the beach and of course all the happy walkers. I am SO glad I get to be on Route Safety in San Diego. I just got back from [crewing Route Safety in] Seattle and it was fantastic! Hopefully San Diego is ready for me. Let’s get this party started!”

Tina (16-time participant) komen_3day_seattle-milestone_tina-wave Tina will be heading to San Diego from the Pacific Northwest, where she lives the 3-Day life year-round captaining Seattle 3-Day’s largest team, Valley Girls & Guys. But second to Seattle, the San Diego walk holds a special place in Tina’s heart. “This will be my 6^th time walking San Diego, and honestly, I just pinking love the San Diego 3-Day! Valley Girls & Guys has a team of 26 walkers coming to San Diego to walk this year and 2 kids doing Youth Corps. I love San Diego, the weather, the people and all the places along the way, and I welcome any new changes. My favorite parts are all the amazing walker stalkers and walking along Mission Beach on Day 2. I’m excited to share this experience with my youngest daughter this year as she is 13 and doing Youth Corps. My other daughter and husband will be there to cheer us all on.”

Marianne (7-time San Diego walker) 2013-me-and-cathy Marianne, who is the captain of team STRIDE, has six sisters, all of whom have had breast cancer (including one sister who was lost to the disease). She’s a pro at the San Diego 3-Day, and says, “The San Diego event is simply amazing! We have so much community support along the route all three days, and the walkers feel like rock stars. My first time walkers tell me that after the 3-Day when they hear a car horn honk they feel compelled to raise their arms in the air and give a woohoo! My favorite part of the 3-Day is when we near the end of Day 1 and Day 2 and walk along the bayside boardwalk before the end of the day’s route. The entire boardwalk is a cheer station! Our team has had a cheer station there every year and we are joined by family and friends when we are the most tired. And even better, we get to take a moment to stop and cheer on our fellow walkers at our cheer station stop. I can’t wait for the special surprises we have in store for this year and the Survivor Stretch on Saturday!”

Rainy (19-time 3-Dayer) rainy Rainy is a San Diego local and a fixture on the San Diego 3-Day: she has participated in every single San Diego event since it began (she walked her first year and has crewed ever since). She has also expanded her crew resume over the years to include San Francisco, Arizona, Seattle and the Twin Cities. This will be Rainy’s fourth year as the Senior Captain of Route for San Diego, so she pretty much knows every twist and turn of San Diego’s 60 miles. “Day 1 and 2 are the same as the past few years, which is awesome because they rock! The views and the overwhelming community support are my favorite parts of the San Diego 3-Day. Right before pit stop 2 on Day 1, you come out of a section of trees and there is the Pacific Ocean before you with Torrey Pines in the background. It is an amazing view and awesome photo opportunity. As you leave pit stop 2 on Day 2, you’re treated to another sweeping view of the Pacific. Day 2 also features several miles along the Mission Beach boardwalk, which is just a nice flat walk next to the sandy San Diego beaches.”

Rainy gives kudos to Emily and the event team for the updates made to Day 3’s route. “I had the opportunity to walk the second half of Day 3 recently and I think the changes are excellent. The long sections of the ‘dry riverbed’ are gone and I love that the route after lunch returns to Hillcrest and Balboa Park, and goes down through Little Italy.” Rainy is especially excited about the last stretch of Sunday’s route into the Participant Finish Area. “The final mile of the walk will be spectacular as we will have a ton of community support cheering us on. Having the Closing Ceremony at Waterfront Park will be a huge upgrade. We will have beautiful fountains on one side and be steps from the Bay and the Star of India on the other.” Rainy will be focused on supporting the crew teams on the route in San Diego, but she’s quick to remind walkers, “Take time to enjoy this route. It is the culmination of the incredible journey you have been on for the past year. Camp will be waiting for you no matter what time you arrive, so spend a little bit of extra time enjoying the views.”