Carl B.’s Journey to His 40th 3-Day

Carl B. and his fellow 3-Day walkers in Dallas.

When Carl B. first signed up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in 2006, he had a deeply personal reason for participating. Nearly two decades later, he’s still showing up, even though the circumstances that first brought him to the event have changed.

“I did my first 3-Day in Boston two years after my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, but when we separated, I questioned if this was still my mission,” Carl said.

As he thought about that question, he found out that Teresa, a friend he had met through the 3-Day community, had passed away. Seeing her last Facebook post felt like a sign.

“She left this poignant last Facebook post. I still go back and look at it for inspiration every so often. It’s still there, 12 years later,” Carl said. “She told her friends and family about hospice and about trying to keep her comfortable, and she ended it with, ‘I pray for better treatments.’”

Carl B. also creates art inspired by his 3-Day journey.

Carl’s artwork inspired by the 3-Day.

Carl said Teresa’s words reminded him that the mission was bigger than his own story.

“I haven’t looked back since,” he said.

Over the years, his connection with the 3-Day community has only grown stronger.

“After I got divorced, I had a whole new social circle enter my life. And Lord, probably 15% of them are affected by breast cancer and a few of them have died,” Carl said. “It’s such a huge factor in my life, and some of my best friends in the world are people I’ve met on the 3-Day. I just can’t imagine not doing it.”

To honor his friends who have died from breast cancer, many of whom he met through the 3-Day, Carl has a band of pink ribbons tattooed around his arm.

Carl B. with his pink beard at the Boston 3-Day.

Now in his early 60s, Carl is looking forward to walking his 40th 3-Day at the Tampa Bay event in 2027.

“I think that everybody needs to do something to make the world a better place,” Carl said. “So, I’ve been doing this for the past 20 plus years and I really enjoy it.”

Carl said being immersed in the Pink Bubble has also encouraged him to keep a closer eye on his own health.

“I do check myself and I try to be aware of everything going on with my body,” he said. “I think that’s really the best way to detect something early.”

Carl B. and members of the Pink Bubble at the San Diego 3-Day halfway mark.

Tina’s Story: A 3-Day Haiku of Hope and Heartbreak

Tina S. at the 2025 Susan G. Komen 3-Day in Dallas/Fort Worth.

When Tina S. submitted her winning haiku for this month’s 3-Day contest, she wanted to capture the emotion, purpose and perspective that is deeply personal.

“My mother is a 16-year survivor. She had two different types of breast cancer, one in each breast, at the same time,” Tina said. “It was really tough to watch. She was in so much pain, and I felt like I didn’t do enough.”

Finding the 3-Day

Three years ago, Tina was introduced to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® and her team, Pink Soles in Motion, by one of her best friends Nadia Martin. What began as a way to get involved quickly became something much more.

At first, she didn’t fully understand what she had signed up for.

Tina and her best friend Nadia at the Komen 3-Day.

“Nadia told me it was 20 miles, and I know she said it was three days, but it didn’t click that it was 20 miles each day,” Tina said.

That realization came during her first training walk.

“Our captain asked how I felt about walking three days, and my jaw dropped,” she said. “I thought it was 20 miles total. That’s something we still laugh about.”

Since then, Tina has completed the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day twice, but nothing could have prepared her for the emotional impact of the walk.

“It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” she said. “Walking alongside so many different women, all of these different stories, all of these different stages. I know what my mom went through, but this opened my eyes to so much more.”

The Meaning Behind the 3-Day Haiku

That emotional complexity is what inspired Tina’s winning haiku.

Tina's winning 3-Day haiku

“It’s not all sunshine and roses. It’s not all Pink Bubble. There’s sadness and tears,” Tina said. “The first year I walked with Nadia, there was a photo taken where she’s crying. She had plantar fasciitis, and she had to stop because of the pain. She was devastated. It’s just so many emotions rolled into three days.”

Tina said she intentionally reflected both sorrow and hope in her poem.

“People say, ‘We walk until we find a cure,’ but the reality is more complex, and that’s what I wanted to reflect in the haiku,” she said.

Showing Up for Others

Tina G. and friends at the Komen 3-Day.

After two years of walking in Dallas/Fort Worth, Tina is continuing her 3-Day journey in new ways. This year, she will walk Day 3 in DFW and host a cheer station during the first two days.

“The cheer stations are what kept me going,” she said. “Now I want to be that support for others.”

But it’s the emotion of the 3-Day’s Closing Ceremony that continues to bring her back.

“There were women I walked with who I knew wouldn’t be there the next year,” Tina said in tears. “That’s the hardest reality. I’m grateful my mom is a survivor, but not everyone is. That’s why I keep showing up … for those people who can’t come back.”

Tina will also be walking the Tampa Bay 3-Day in 2027 and hopes to continue expanding her participation in the years to come.

“I want to experience every part of the 3-Day,” she added. “I’d love to volunteer, too.”

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

Join the 3-Day and Help Us End Breast Cancer

Survivor procession at the 2025 San Diego 3-Day.

Each year, the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® brings together thousands of dedicated people nationwide who are united by one shared goal: help end breast cancer.

In the months of fundraising leading up the 3-Day, participants help raise critical funds. Since 2003, over 500,000 participants have raised more than $927 million to save lives, expand community programs, improve access to patient care and fuel groundbreaking research, therapies and treatment.

The impact created by the 3-Day community over the years has been extraordinary, and this year we’re focused on pushing that progress even further.

Why the 3-Day

The 3-Day is a powerful journey that spans three unforgettable days where participants walk up to 60 miles. It’s a challenge that reflects personal commitment and collective impact, and it’s unforgettable. Along the 3-Day route, participants receive community support from residents and businesses who line the streets in appreciation. And through each step, participants share stories of survivorship, remembrance and hope for a world without breast cancer.

Along the route of the 2025 Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day.

For Monica G., a newer participant of the San Diego 3-Day, walking was a way to honor the family members and friends in her life who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. She walked on her own, motivated by her desire to take action in a space that leaves many feeling helpless.

“I can only imagine what treatment must have been like for them,” Monica shared. “I felt that the least I could do was help raise money to support the breast cancer community and challenge myself to do something meaningful.

Ways to Participate

In the upcoming season, Komen 3-Day events will take place in Boston (Aug. 21-23), Dallas/Fort Worth (Oct. 23-25), San Diego (Nov. 13-15) and Tampa Bay (Feb. 19-21, 2027).

The 3-Day is flexible and inclusive of all fitness levels, with multiple distance options. While many choose the full three days and 60 miles, others choose the 1-Day (20 miles) or 2-Day (40 miles) options.

The 2025 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day walkers.

From the day you register, participants are supported by a dedicated coach who provides fundraising resources, training guidance and encouragement every step of the way.

The 3-Day is more than just a series of endurance walks. It’s an experience known to change lives and keep participants coming back year after year.

The Pink Bubble

At the heart of the 3-Day is the “Pink Bubble”— the energetic, creative and welcoming community of walkers, crew members and volunteers, who strive to end breast cancer with every step they take. The Pink Bubble is known for its touching pink-clad tributes honoring survivors and loved ones throughout the 3-Day weekends, and for its unwavering support, deep connection and compassion. It’ something you must experience to truly appreciate.

The Pink Bubble is a place where strangers become teammates, and by the time you reach the Finish Line, you’ll be moved to do it all over again.

The 2025 Susan G. Komen Denver 3-Day.