While this doesn't directly pertain to Claire, the idea is that it never will (breast cancer, that is). In case you didn't see Lynn's letter written after the 3 day walk, here it is.
Well, it's over. All those months of training paid off. My shins don't think so, but the rest of me feels fine (a little sore, maybe). The walk was, once again, amazing. The first day was less than ideal (understatement of the century). It poured the whole day; sometimes the rain was coming down sideways!; and temperatures never rose above 48 degrees. We ate in the rain, hopped over puddles, and thanked heavens it wasn't snowing! But, we didn't waiver in our commitment to fight against breast cancer. Luckily, we got to stay inside (in an empty office building- 3600 walkers and 300 crew members sleeping on the floor) that night. The next day was damp and cold, but hey, it wasn't raining! We hobbled along, sore and stiff, but determined. Mid-day, the clouds parted and we had lovely weather. I was so thrilled to see my neighbors - Kelli, Wendell, Zach and Alex - in downtown Duluth. They made the trek all the way from Canton for a 5 minute visit. That is dedication and I am so honored they traveled so far. Saturday was also Vanessa's, my teammate and good friend, birthday. We decided that instead of schlepping through the VERY muddy campsite that we would sleep at her house. It just happened to be 15 minutes from the start of the walk the next morning. We had a lovely dinner with Mark, Claire, Brian, Luke, Zak, and Caroline (V's family). After a hot shower and a wonderful night's rest, we got up and started again. We were still very sore (especially our feet!) but we knew we were near the end. We had a beautiful day on Sunday and walked through Buckhead, Midtown and finished at the World Congress Center. My friend Kimmy and her son Walker came out to meet us at one of the cheering stations as did Brian and Luke.
Two really inspiring things happened on this last leg (other than the REALLY good looking policemen who escorted us across the intersections!). First, there was a young woman who drove by a number of times and j ust said quietly out the window, "thank you." You could see her hair was just coming back after chemo. Tears welled up in our eyes and we looked at each other. Our pain was nothing compared to hers. We were happy to endure it for her. Then, as we were coming around a corner in downtown Atlanta, there were a few girls and their mothers handing out HOMEMADE cookies (can you imagine - baking 3600 cookies!) The girls gave us cookies while the moms handed us stickers. I read the sticker and started to cry. It said, "Today you inspired a child...thank you." As if we weren't emotionally raw already. Honestly, it was so beautiful. When we finally made it to the World Congress Center and entered the exhibit hall, we were overcome with emotion. Awaiting us were hundreds of walkers who were standing along our route just screaming and waving pom-poms congratulating us. As much as I was thrilled to be done, I was more overcome by the moment. I stood there in the midst of the cheering thinki ng about my girls. My beautiful girls. Past and present. My mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-aunt, great-grandmother. My daughter. I did this walk for them. Thank you all so much. To my teammates - for being motivators and a whole lot of fun. To everyone who sent me notes of encouragement - they meant so much, especially when my feet were aching or pain was shooting up my leg! To all my friends and family - for supporting me physically, emotionally, and financially. This is probably the last time I will walk in the 3 day. I could not have asked for a better experience - yes, even the rotten weather. It reminded me that the fight against breast cancer doesn't just happen on beautiful sunny days, but every day.
With love and gratitude, Lynn
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