Avon Walk for Breast Cancer: Big Finish
This past weekend was the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I signed up in January and have been training and fundraising ever since. I met my mid-point fundraising goal in February, which felt huge. It ended up that Team Joan of Heart raised $8,414 for the Walk and breast cancer awareness. The grand total for the Boston Walk was $6.9 million! Amazing!
Finally the weekened was here and I was full of anticipation! How far could I walk? What would it be like? Could I even do this? Well, we started and we walked. We walked until we could barely move. We hit the half marathon point (13.1 miles) and knew we still had energy to continue. Finally we arrived at the Wellness Village in Canton. Which, to me, felt like our true finish line. In total, Day 1, we walked 26 miles - a full marathon! It took us 12 hours and it was excruciating.
Day 2 started out slow, we were hurting for sure. We began Day 2, intent on our final 13 miles. Unfortunately injury, pain, lack of sleep, and fatigue got the best of us and we were swept at Mile 2. So Team Joan of Heart walked a total of 28 miles. My grandparents picked us up and we went to the finish line at UMASS Boston to gain our own personal closure on this tremedous accomplishment.
Despite a relatively anticlimactic end I feel so proud to have done this, to have been a part of such a worthy cause, and to have made an impact in ending breast cancer. I am so grateful to have done this Walk with my mom and aunt, two women who mean a tremendous amount to me, in honor of my grandmother's 10th year being breast cancer free, another woman I love, respect, and couldn't live without. I think about the women in my life and know this disease could claim any one of them at any moment. I would walk until the end of time to fight against that happening.
I just want to say THANK YOU again for all of the support, well wishes, donations, and love. We are slowly getting closer to ending this disease, I hope it happens in my lifetime.
Full annotated photo gallery here!
Finally the weekened was here and I was full of anticipation! How far could I walk? What would it be like? Could I even do this? Well, we started and we walked. We walked until we could barely move. We hit the half marathon point (13.1 miles) and knew we still had energy to continue. Finally we arrived at the Wellness Village in Canton. Which, to me, felt like our true finish line. In total, Day 1, we walked 26 miles - a full marathon! It took us 12 hours and it was excruciating.
Day 2 started out slow, we were hurting for sure. We began Day 2, intent on our final 13 miles. Unfortunately injury, pain, lack of sleep, and fatigue got the best of us and we were swept at Mile 2. So Team Joan of Heart walked a total of 28 miles. My grandparents picked us up and we went to the finish line at UMASS Boston to gain our own personal closure on this tremedous accomplishment.
Despite a relatively anticlimactic end I feel so proud to have done this, to have been a part of such a worthy cause, and to have made an impact in ending breast cancer. I am so grateful to have done this Walk with my mom and aunt, two women who mean a tremendous amount to me, in honor of my grandmother's 10th year being breast cancer free, another woman I love, respect, and couldn't live without. I think about the women in my life and know this disease could claim any one of them at any moment. I would walk until the end of time to fight against that happening.
I just want to say THANK YOU again for all of the support, well wishes, donations, and love. We are slowly getting closer to ending this disease, I hope it happens in my lifetime.
Full annotated photo gallery here!