By:Jacky Gerzema
Audrey Landau remembers knowing something was wrong when she felt a lump in her breast 25 years ago. She went to the doctor immediately, and shortly after, the malignant lump was removed.
"It was devastating when I first found out," Landau said. "Luckily I had the lump removed and that was it. I didn't have to go through additional chemotherapy and it never came back."
A quarter of a century later, the Lawrence woman still is thankful she is a breast-cancer survivor and determined to help others.
This year, she gets up early every Saturday morning and walks 8-16 miles with other local women to prepare for the Avon Breast Cancer Three-Day Walk.
Nancy Reinhart of Baldwin is one of Landau's companions. With a four-generation history of female cancer in her family, Reinhart visits doctors twice a year to be on the safe side. While having no history of cancer herself, Reinhart and her family suffered through a scary and emotional time when doctors thought her 23-year-old daughter may have had cervical cancer.
While Reinhart and her family were relieved to learn her daughter did not have cancer, she said both take as many precautionary and preventive measures as they can.
Because of her family history and daughter's cancer scare, Reinhart was inspired to do Avon's three-day walk last year and will be walking again this year.
The 60-mile walk Sept. 21-23 starts at Bear Mountain and ends in Manhattan. To walk, each participant must raise a minimum of $1,900, which Reinhart is still doing. The money raised goes to research, early detection and education programs about how and where to have mammograms and other breast cancer volunteer organizations. Last year, Reinhart said New Yorkers broke a record by raising $7.5 million.
"This is for a really great cause," Reinhart said. "Breast cancer doesn't pick and choose whom its victims will be. This year, 180,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and over 40,000 will die. Since I walked last year, I've had five friends diagnosed."
Groups of 12 or more people can form a team for the three-day walk. Reinhart, Landau and others formed a team of 24 members called the Long Beach Boardwalkers and have been training on Long Beach's boardwalk for the event every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning for the past few months.
Reinhart said that once she registered for the walk at an orientation, she was given a schedule that showed how to train for the event. Training is important, Reinhart said, because you need to build stamina.
"It is recommended that by the seventh month of training, your total weekly walking distance should be between 30 and 40 miles," she said.
Stretching and wearing the right shoes and socks for support and to prevent blisters are also important when walking long distances.
Walking 60 miles in three days is not easy, Reinhart said. There is a support group of crew volunteers who assist the walkers during the weekend. "We couldn't make it through the weekend without the crew."
The crew helps with everything, from setting up tents each night for the walkers, to working at food and water stops and helping with medical attention.
Reinhart's husband, Bruce, will be volunteering with more than 700 other crew members this year.
Bruce said Nancy was interested in participating in the walk last year and brought him to a seminar. He said he originally had no intention of volunteering, but after watching a film of prior walks in California, he changed his mind.
"It was one of the most special experiences of my life last year," he said. "It's a whole weekend of a perfect world; everyone is there to support and look after each other. Some walkers would be tired and I would joke with them to keep up the positive support. When I made one walker laugh or smile, it made my day."
As a volunteer, he said he saw many women wearing T-shirts with the names of deceased friends or family members. At the end of the walk, every breast-cancer survivor wore a pink T-shirt.
"It really hits you, realizing how many people are affected by this disease," Bruce Reinhart said. "The whole weekend is just such an emotional and spiritual event. It really changed my perspective on life. I'm ready for it again this year."
Those interested in donating to help Nancy Reinhart support the fight against breast cancer may call 888-3DAYAVON or send a check in any amount to Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day, New York, c/o LaSalle Bank, 135 Lasalle, Dept. 2009, Chicago, ILL 60674. Reinhart's walker number is 3502.
