3 Days. 60 Miles.
The Susan G Komen 3-Day walks take place in twelve different U.S. cities each year. Emma is registered for the Washington, D.C. event on October 12-14. She’ll walk 60 miles in three days while raising awareness and money for breast cancer research.
Emma will walk in honor of her mother, Karen Lovejoy, who’s been living with breast cancer since her diagnosis in January 2008.
“I’m inspired to do this because of my mom,” she said. “I just wanted to do this as a way to support her and go through this process with her. I can’t be a part of all her treatments and doctor’s appointments and all she goes through, but I can be supportive this way.”
Emma saw a commercial on TV promoting the 3-Day, and decided to sign up. All the 3-Day participants are required to raise at least $2300, and are encouraged to set their personal goals even higher. Emma’s goal is $3000, and she’s confident she’ll reach it.
“I knew, Ocracoke being the place it is, that I would get lots of support,” she said.
Over the summer, Emma trained by walking three or four miles at a time, and plans to increase her daily walks when the weather cools off a bit. She worked at the Flying Melon, waiting and hosting, and she figures she walked a couple of miles a day doing that, too!
She recently left Ocracoke to return to Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., where she is a junior majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She works as a Resident Assistant in her dorm at Guilford, and has a career goal of working in community mediation. Next semester, she’ll study abroad at the University of the Cape Coast in Ghana.
At Guilford, she can train in the gym on a treadmill, so no days off for inclement weather.
“The 3-Day is a community event, so they encourage you to train without an iPod. You’re supposed to talk to the people around you,” Emma said. “Lots of people walk with a group. As an individual, I hope to meet people.”
3-Day participants camp in tents in a camping area and are assigned a tent mate. There are also organized activities for the walkers to get to know each other.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “And anxious because it’s a big challenge. But I know I’m going to feel great when I reach my fundraising goal and walk 60 miles!”
To sponsor Emma and make a pledge (it can be anonymous or credited), please click here. You can also write an encouraging message on her page.
According to the 3-Day website: “Seventy-five percent of the net proceeds raised by the 3-Day fund national research and large public health outreach programs. The remaining 25 percent funds local community and Affiliate outreach programs. Virtually every major advance in the fight against breast cancer in the last 30 years has been impacted by a Susan G. Komen grant.”
