Sunday, May 30, 2010

I Am Walking the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure!



The other day I was on Twitter checking out different Tweets about the 2010 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. Looking around I'll often find inspiring posts about the amazing distances women have walked while training, touching reasons why people have decided to take up the challenge of walking 60 miles in three days, and I even find Tweets from women struggling with breast cancer themselves. These women within the social media community may not know it, but they are a huge part of my decision to sign up and walk myself.

About two months ago I lost an amazing friend, Barbara Thomas. She died after several bouts of fighting the disease of breast cancer. I had only known Barb for three years, but I met her while she was volunteering and she made an immediate and deep impact on the way I look at my life today. Barb was a woman that did everything "big". You know, one of those "go big or go home" types of people. She had a big laugh, a bigger heart and a big disease to fight. Barbara battled breast cancer for over five years.

When I heard that Barbara had passed away, I immediately thought of how her willingness to give so freely to others had inspired me. I felt an overwhelmingly sad loss, but I also vowed to give back a little bit of what Barbara would have if she was still with us on Earth.

The night before I was to attend her funeral I was ironing my "funeral dress" and casually watching television to keep my mind off of the loneliness I was feeling. I saw a commercial for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure and I knew right away I had to sign up and walk in memory of Barb. I didn't even think twice the distance (60 miles!), that I'd never been in an organized walk before, that there was a lot of fundraising involved, or that I didn't know a soul who would be walking. In that moment, I could only think of Barb and her dedication to helping others and how I wanted to keep her spirit alive by doing my very best to do the same.

I'm not nearly the woman Barbara Thomas was. I'm just Katy Morris, a 34-year-old wife, a Purchasing Agent for a small chemistry lab, and a "mom" to my 20 year old cat Sodie and my terror of a Terrier, Miss Ruby. I love blogging and interacting with people from all over the world through social media sites, and spending time with my amazing friends here in San Diego. I love San Diego because the beautiful weather allows me to spend a lot of time outside hiking, walking and playing in the ocean.

Earlier in this post I mentioned I was on Twitter looking at Tweets about the 3-Day. That same day I came across a post by @EnergizerBunny. They provided a link to Energizer's Facebook fan page with an announcement that they were looking for people participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk to be Energizer Brand Ambassadors. Energizer has been a sponsor of the walk for many years now and their motto is "Keep Going"! I had to laugh because I can just imagine my dear friend Barbara Thomas telling me to "Keep Going" when I feel like I can't walk another step. She was that supportive.

I would love to be Energizer's Brand Ambassador before and during the San Diego Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure because I think my motivation for walking for my friend Barbara coincides perfectly with their "energizing" message to "Keep Going". I would also love the platform to talk about the wonderful experience of training for and walking the 3-Day. I think my passion for social media and the requirements of being their Brand Ambassador are also a great fit.

Whether I'm chosen or not, I feel so empowered right now, blogging about (and telling the whole world about) my commitment to walk the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. There's no going back now, and Barbara wouldn't have it any other way!

2 comments:

  1. Firstly, I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. Welcome to the 3-day, "just" Katy Morris! This is my first year walking as well. The day you signed up to do this, you became as "big" as you see your friend, Barbara. What you are doing is HUGE! Here's best wishes for your fund raising and your training! See you in San Diego!!

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  2. Wow, Margie! How sweet! Thanks for the support!!! I cannot begin to explain how excited I already am to be a part of this HUGE thing called the 3-Day!

    Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting! It means a lot! :)

    I can't wait to "meet" you in November in San Diego!

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