In Focus

However, the gloomy weather did not dispel the excitement of the day . . . nor did the plumbing problems in her hotel room . . . nor the hours spent in the laundry mat, drying out her soaked clothes and shoes. Even though the night did not go as what she had planned, Shearer was in bed by 10:30 p.m. to gain much needed sleep before the 4:30 a.m. wake-up call.

DAY ONE, October 27, 2000
The clouds hung heavy and low Friday morning, while the participants gathered for the opening ceremony. Several breast cancer survivors linked arms, and walked onto a platform to officially start the event. They shared their experiences, the stories of those passed, and the reasons this walk was so crucial to the support the battle against breast cancer. Shearer, along with thousands of other women, listened as Dan Pallotta, founder of Palotta Teamworks, the producer of the Avon Breast Cancer 3 Day, as he encouraged the walkers to expand their personal limits to support a cause larger than themselves.

And then the walk began. Shearer trudged in the rain to complete the first 20-mile leg of the walk. "At one point, it took all of us an hour and a half to cross one intersection," Shearer said. But even the pauses in the walk were gratifying. Shearer made friends while waiting to cross the street. Some of whom she is still in contact.

The crowd walked on main streets, side streets, the Pacific Coast Highway, and through several terrains and weather patterns. Around noon the sun finally arrived and the rain was forced to flee. Shearer arrived at the first camp late that afternoon feeling well mentally, but physically exhausted. The camp was a great sight for sore (and weary) eyes. There were huge semi trailers housing hot showers, massage centers, first aid tents, and of course a cafeteria. Shearer weaved through the temporary structures, countless volunteers, and other exhausted walkers to find her tent assignment. After a hot shower revived her aching muscles, she loaded up on a carbo-filled spaghetti dinner. Then, Shearer crawled into her sleeping bag to recharge for the next day.

Shearer (right) and Penny share "lodging" along the route.

DAY TWO, October 28, 2000
The night's slumber proved to be a restless one. Shearer slept a couple extra hours past the first wake-up call. Beginning the day late proved necessary if she was to revive her body, but it added more of a challenge because she would have to quicken her pace to make it to the next camp. She found the motivation she needed in the cheering crowds lining the route.

"There were so many people along the sidelines calling out, 'Thank you for walking' as we passed," Shearer explained. "Bystanders were handing out candy and stickers, and women who had walked in the San Francisco 3 Day even came down to cheer for us."

Every two miles there were checkpoints where walkers could use the restroom, drink, eat, and take a break if needed. Each stop had a theme: checkpoint D was the disco stop, complete with loud music and volunteers dressed vintage 70s apparel. "There were a thousand volunteers on the route and in the camps that donated their time and skills to encouraging, giving medical and physical therapy care, cooking, cleaning, and making this event possible," Shearer said.

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