Carla Jesse and her stepsister predicted about 630 walkers. Sixty miles over three days was a lot of ground to cover. Even more intimidating was the minimum $2,200 per-person donation required to enter the race.
When they both arrived at the starting line in Washington, D.C., for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day last week, more than 3,600 walkers joined them.
“It was life-changing. It was magical,” Jesse, a 42-year-old Osage Beach resident, said. “Just when I didn’t think I could take another step, we would be walking through a neighborhood and there would be a mom and her kids handing out Halloween candy, or there would be a poster with an inspirational message. You read it and knew you couldn’t stop.”
When Jesse started walking, it was a personal mission. A close friend of hers battled breast cancer and Jesse watched as her friend slowly lost her fight.
She’s also had several family members battle the disease as well.
So when the idea came up for her and her stepsister to participate in one of 28 walks around the country, the women put on their walking shoes and started training.
At the end of three days and 60 miles, Jesse’s transformation was complete. She was walking not only for her friend and family, but for the cancer survivors taking their first steps in the event, the other first-time walkers who were bandaging blisters and splint shins in the medical tents and heading back out on the course to finish, the experienced walkers and the moms and daughters cheering on everyone.
“The whole thing became so much bigger than me,” Jesse said. “It started out really small, a personal goal and when I got done, I don’t know how to explain it, I was walking for something much bigger than I ever could be part of.”
“It was the experience of a lifetime,” Jesse added.
One that she and her stepsister already want to duplicate. Both are already trying to pick which city’s race they’ll participate in next year.
Contact this reporter at deannaw@lakesunleader.com