Groveland Twp.- Lynn Fisher’s feet hurt and she was exhausted.
She was in the midst of making a 60-mile trek and doubted her ability to continue. But as the township resident trudged onward, she was inspired.
‘There were people lining the sidewalks cheering us on,? she said. ‘There’s always someone in a wheelchair with no hair and you know she’s going through treatment and she’s crying and you think, ‘That’s why I’m here.??
Fisher, 40, finished what she set out to do? she completed the Michigan Breast Cancer 3-Day, walking about 20 miles per day from Farmington Hills to Dearborn, joining more than 3,000 others in the journey, each of whom raised $2,200 to participate in the walk. Proceeds are used for research, education, and support.
Fisher attended a Breast Cancer 3-Day kickoff meeting in March and was intimidated by the amount of money she needed to raise, but she and her sister, Lori Dedalis, felt compelled to walk in honor of their aunt, who died of breast cancer when Fisher was in high school.
They requested donations from people they know and also hosted a couple euchre parties to raise funds. People were generous and she recalls receiving checks in the mail, some with notes that said things like, ‘Good luck, my mom died of breast cancer.? The fundraising wound up being the easier part, Fisher says.
‘They say the hardest part is raising money and I say the hardest part is training.?
The full-time Hartford Insurance manager began walking after the kickoff meeting, soon working her way up to 5-6 miles on weeknights and 18 miles per day on the weekends.
‘My feet still aren’t quite right,? said Fisher, who listened to her iPod, did a lot of thinking and enjoyed the walking until about the 10-mile mark. ‘They tell you not to get pedicures, because you want to build up callouses so you don’t get blisters.?
Fisher and Dedalis dubbed their 2-person team, ‘Savin? the Sisters,? and arrived at Oakland Community College’s Farmington Hills campus early the morning of Sept. 26. At the opening ceremonies that day, she recalls, people walked in bearing flags in honor of people that said things like, ‘My sister,? ‘My mother,? ‘My friend,? and others carried by survivors that had words like, ‘Inspiring,? and ‘Optimism.?
‘It was emotional and people around us were bawling,? she said. ‘The first day gets you really pumped up. The band was playing and besides the walkers, there are lots of supporters and cheer stations where family and friends are and they give you popsicles, candy, and stickers and it really keeps you going, but you’re exhausted by the end. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t do this.??
But she did. Emergency medical technicians in pink scrubs followed the walkers in ambulances that blared upbeat music through Farmington Hills and Livonia. Fisher and her sister arrived at camp around 3:30 in the afternoon. Football and hockey players from Romeo set up all the tents for the walkers and volunteers cooked for them.
‘I saw some nasty looking blisters,? remembers Fisher.
The next day, her sister would be one of the walkers with a nasty blister, but after a medical worker wrapped it, they kept on walking, through the streets of Plymouth, where a safety patrol on Harley-Davidson motorcycles dubbing themselves ‘The Pink Panthers,? stopped traffic. They were amazed at the signs of support there? including a ribbon mowed into someone’s front lawn, and a city fountain in which the water was dyed pink.
‘People were screaming, ‘Thank you for walking,? and ‘I’m here because of you,?? Fisher said. ‘I was waving and felt like I was on the red carpet.?
On the trek, she felt an enormous sense of camaraderie.
‘Everybody knows everybody,? she said. ‘You’re in the same situation and you start talking to anyone like they’re your sister. One guy told me about his niece who died of breast cancer and people invite you to get in their pictures.?
On the third day, after a long, exhausting, but still exhilarating weekend, Fisher made it to the holding area at the Henry Ford museum, where walkers gather before they all cross the finish line together. As she waited, another woman walked into the area and Fisher watched as two teenage boys, sobbing, greeted their mother, a cancer survivor.
‘We were all crying,? she remembers. ‘You don’t even know these people, but you can’t help it.?
Finally all together, 3,000 walkers strong crossed the finish line, arm-in-arm, with survivors last and everyone kneeling down to greet them in honor of what they went through. Fisher said everyone also took off their shoes and waved them, like a flag.
‘It was really emotional,? she said. ‘They call it the experience of a lifetime and it’s so true. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I will do it again. Everyone’s got a story and it puts your life in perspective.?