In 2004, my friend Joanne had a double mastectomy; she is a year older than I am. That year was the first year I registered to walk in the CIBC Run for the Cure in Ottawa. I had signed up to walk 5K and raise money for cancer. I talked some of the ladies I worked with to come join me. It would be fun – we’d raise a bit of money, do the walk (5K – how long was this actually going to take us?), go to breakfast – a nice way to spend a Sunday. This became an annual tradition that I looked forward to.
In 2005, my husband Carl, friend Joanne and her husband joined me in this annual tradition. It was that year we spotted “THE T-SHIRT” This fellow participant cruised on by us with this T-shirt that said “Weekend to End Breast Cancer – 60K”. A 60K walk? What?? Where?? Oh man, that would be fun. I had to find out more. So, I saddled on up to her and said ‘tell me more about this 60K walk’.
Only in Montreal you say
After chatting with her and finding out this 60K walk was in Montreal and not Ottawa, I was disappointed that this was not available in Ottawa, or that I didn’t consider going to Montreal to participate? Duh! Hello? We parted ways and I enjoyed the rest of our walk with my husband and friends.
Fast forward to January 2006, when I saw the full page ad in the Ottawa Citizen announcing “THE WEEKEND TO END BREAST CANCER” a 2 day - 60K walk to raise money for breast cancer. OMG!! OMG!!! OMG!!! It had come to Ottawa. THE walk was here! I had to do it! After checking the calendar for the date of this event, July 24 – 25th – minor schedule conflict. It was the weekend of our grand-daughter’s birthday weekend in Halifax. Carl, my every supportive husband, assured me that he would represent us at the birthday party and participating in the 60K walk was really a bigger gift to Kathleen than the current Dora the Explorer doll I got her.
I remember our very first 5K training walk in January in OTTAWA – you’d think we had walked around the world. With our chests out proudly, we bragged for days about it to anyone who would listen! “I walked 5K this weekend”! When at the second 5K walk our walking leader didn’t show up, Carl took the lead and said ‘we are here – lets walk’ – I was leaning more for a hot coffee some place, however, walk we did and the rest is history. What began as a substitute walking coach has turned into Carl and I leading most of the training walks in Kanata. We’ve become known as the ‘noodle people’ in Kanata as was walk with pool noodles shaped into ‘pink ribbons’ – there is no mistaking that we are walking for breast cancer.
5 will get you to 60
How do you get ready for a 60K walk? One kilometre at a time and with friends that you are about to meet. During these walks we met new friends, dutifully logged our kilometres, felt good about what we are doing and couldn’t wait for THE WEEKEND to arrive.
The Weekend Was Finally Here!
July 24 – 26th, 2006 was the first Weekend to End Breast Cancer event held in Ottawa. We had no idea what we were in for. We arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed in our of our pinkness glory-- temporary pink ribbon tattoo – check, pink hat – check, pink feather boa – check, pink pool noodle shaped into a pink ribbon – check. Of course don’t forget the boring basics –- water – check, extra socks – check and sun screen – check. There would be no mistaking that I am on a mission and was there for a reason.
Excitement raced through us as we were called to the stage … the time was almost here! After some stretching exercises, and a very emotional opening ceremony we heard the words that would start our journey “LET THE WEEKEND TO END BREASTCANCER BEGIN!!!” Our hearts were beating out of control as my friends and I walked out arm and arm out of the compound to something bigger than us. As we began our walk as far as our eyes could see, people sat aside their differences for one another and were walking towards making a difference. One thousand seventeen men and women were there to be the end to breast cancer. As we walked and walked AND WALKED through the streets of Ottawa, we came across family and friends who cheered us on, who gave us the encouragement to continue even though our feet were screaming ‘STOP!’ We came across kids who had set up pink cool-aid stands and were offering us ‘free cool-aid and free hugs for the walkers’. Little girls lined the streets with signs that said ‘I love you mommy,” how could we not continue? How could we have ever questioned NOT doing this?
As we crossed the finish line on day one, bone tired, some of us headed home to our beds and an adult beverage or two (other brave souls spent the night in the luxurious tents provided by the organizers).
Day 2- Sunny skies – check, new socks – check, pink feather boa – check, oh and a bit more walking. Thank God the organizers were good to us and told us where to walk, and when to stop and pee, and when to eat and when to rest, as most of us were so engrossed with talking to the walkers with the pink lanyards. These special lanyards are for men and women who have slayed the cancer dragon. Our heroes. The incredible stories that we heard made each step matter, and put determination in our step. These women heard the words ‘you have cancer’ and were not deterred and fought hard, and are now here beside us, amongst us showing us that YES CANCER CAN BE BEATEN. How could we think of quitting? They didn’t ... and by God ... I won’t.
Tears flowed freely as we crossed the finish line (actually it was a pink carpet) arms held high in victory. Tears for completing the 60K and we were still standing, and tears for knowing we had made a difference and we were 10, 067 steps closer to finding a cure for breast cancer.
Euphoric, cloud nine-, a state of disbelieve, great pride and lifelong bragging rights- check. Feelings that I woke up to on Monday, or maybe it was my sore muscles that woke me up. OMG!!! I had walked 60K and lived to tell about it.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! Truth be told, I had signed up for the 2007 event even before we had taken our first steps on that exciting Saturday morning. Yes, I AM WALKING again because I can’t walk away.
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