By April Biswell
On June 16, 2000 two IVCC students, Elizabeth Zelenski and Teresa Martin, will be walking in the Avon Breast Cancer 3 – Day 60-mile walk.
"Teresa and I agreed to raise $1,800 by May 1," Zelenski said. "The proceeds go to support non – profit breast health programs in every region of the country."
Zelenski and Martin have been training for this walk which starts in Kenosha, Wisc. and ends in Chicago.
"After we registered we had to go to a mandatory meeting where we were assigned a walking coach," Zelenski said.
"Most of the people participating in this event are from the Chicago area," she continued. "There is no one around here to train with so we just did it by ourselves. We walk the tow path from LaSalle to Utica to Buffalo Rock and back. We walked in 20 degree weather!"
Both women have personal reasons for participating in the walk.
Martin said, "My grandmother died of breast cancer this past Thanksgiving and my other grandmother has recently been diagnosed. This makes the participating in the walk even more meaningful to me."
She continued: "I feel empowered. My grandmother went through so much. If she could go through all those treatments, then I can do this. This is my way of showing her I am strong."
Zelenski explained that her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer in September and an aunt is a survivor. "It gives me chills to think about the thousands of people working towards this one goal," she said. "It is inspirational. Most of the women at the walk have had cancer. They are truly survivors."
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