Cathy Schwandt

Cathy Schwandt ? a 25 year breast cancer survivor ? first got involved with fund raising for Breast Cancer Research because of the challenge of walking 60 miles in 3 days. The fact that she was a 25 year survivor was a secondary reason at the time.

Her first walk was in San Francisco in 2001. It was during that walk that she discovered this to be her passion.

Cathy says, "Each day as I was walking I would see small children, breast cancer patients currently going through treatments and just people in the neighborhoods, standing on the side of the road cheering me on, hugging me ? a stranger? and thanking me for walking for them. It then became my new reason for walking and being involved in this cause. My other motivation to stay involved is seeing the smiles and hope in the faces of 1, 3, 5 and even 10 year survivors and their family members as I talk about being a 20+ year survivor."

Not only does Cathy "walks the walk" she "talks the walk", she is a 3 Day Training Walk Leader and a 3 Day Walk Mentor. She volunteers for the Detroit 3 Day Walk where she is known as "Dancing Lady" and plays music, dances and cheers the walkers on each day along the route.

Cathy also serves on the Columbus Race for the Cure Committee and on the Komen Columbus Education Committee where she serves as a member of this committee?s Speakers Bureau. In the 4 walks that Cathy has done, she has raised more than $13,000 for the fight against breast cancer.