Well, today is the day that my jouRNey begins. For the next four months, I will be blogging one to two times a week about the AVON walk for breast cancer. I hope to share the knowledge I gain about breast cancer, the stories from those who have survived and those still fighting, the difficulties in meeting my fund raising goal of $5,000, and all of the fun experiences along the way.
I like to tell myself that I am an athlete, but as college gets harder my workouts get weaker. Regardless of my current physical condition though, I have already committed to walking a grand total of 39.3 miles on October 27 and 28 of this upcoming Fall. Once I made the decision to walk in the AVON walk, I figured I should put all of my efforts into it in hopes that this will truly be a life changing experience. There are many reasons as to why I chose breast cancer as my focus for my Honors College thesis, but the number one reason is a woman named Melissa Coldiron White.
My two Aunts and Melissa (middle) are three impactful women in my life who I hope to never lose.
Melissa is like a second mother to me and has be one of my strongest support systems throughout my entire life. She is only 40 years old and has already had a double mastectomy due to breast cancer. Breast cancer is blind and can sneak up on anyone without warning. As a woman, it is terrifying to watch someone so close to you be jolted into menopause at a shockingly young age and it is even scarier to know it could happen to me. However, Melissa along with thousands of other women fighting breast cancer, represent a level of courage and strength unknown to many. Throughout these next months I hope to find some of that strength within myself to finish the 39.3 mile walk and to also spread awareness to all of the women in my life.
Below is a video I encourage everyone to watch in hopes that it motivates you into walking with me this Fall in Charlotte, NC or to donate and help me reach my goal. I am pushing myself to meet such a high goal because the efforts it will take me to raise $5,000 pale in comparison to the efforts women put out everyday in order to call themselves a survivor of breast cancer.
For those interested in donating, go to my personal page on the AVON website and click 'donate now'. No amount is too small and I thank you in advance for all of your support!
