Waco Women Walk for the Cure

Waco Trib staffer Cindy Tomlinson really walks the talk.

She'll walk nearly 500 miles of it before November.

November 7 --9 is the date for the upcoming Dallas/Fort Worth Breast Cancer 3-Day, benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Cindy Tomlinson is one of the co-captains of Team Waco; along with Starr Fogle, Cindy has already helped Team Waco raise over $14,000 this year.

The November 3-Day is a sixty-mile walk-a-thon, spread over three days. The DFW 3-Day is one of fourteen national November walks, each designed to raise funds for breast cancer research. Individuals and teams seek sponsorship throughout the year, and Team Waco's goal of $30, 000 seems well within reach.

This is not your everyday walk in the park. Team Waco, along with hundreds of other women around Texas, began their 24-week training schedule this month. At the end of the training, each member will have walked 500 miles or more.

" The physical commitment is almost overwhelming, but nothing compared to the treatments that the breast cancer patients endure. This is our way of saying that we are there to help fight breast cancer with you!" says Tomlinson.

The race is an experience in endurance and bonding. Tomlinson describes her experience in last year's race:

"The first day, we were so high on adrenalin we just bounced thru it. The first evening in the shower trucks was awkward and tested our modesty-- again, nothing compared to breast cancer treatments-- so we decided that we were thankful for our good health and slowly crept back to our tent...

The 2nd day, the blisters emerged and we found out what we’re really made of. We
tried to treat the blisters but failed miserably and decided to check out the medical tent. The medics worked miracles (I admit I may still have a crush on the medic that worked on me) and we continued the walk. Our pace was a little slower but we walked every mile! We were happy to see the shower trucks the second night. That warm shower may be the best shower I’ve ever taken in my life! Another night in the tent!

The 3rd day was the big challenge. We didn’t have adrenalin helping us anymore. We were tired, sore, had blisters, but determination was on our side! Our pace was even slower but we continued to walk. Some of us decided as the day wore on that we had reached our physical limits and rode in the sweep vans. Amazingly there were no feelings of failure. We did our part. We raised the money. We pushed ourselves physically. We were victorious! And we were there to cheer on all of the other walkers! All 6 of the Team Waco members are walking again this year!"

Tomlinson says that she had already been involved with the Susan G. Komen Race for years, when a couple of her co-workers with diagnosed with skin cancer. She says, " I wanted to help them but didn’t know how. Starr Fogle and I decided that we could do more by participating in the 3-Day."

Tomlinson ways that there are already twelve members on the 2008 Team Waco, plus another Waco team of five. There's still plenty of time to get involved, as either a participant or a sponsor.

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Visit Team Waco's page on the 3-Day.Org website here

Or check out the Waco Trib blog Walk This Way, which chronicles the efforts of Cindy Tomlinsion, Starr Fogle, and the rest of Team Waco.

Team Waco also has a Windows LiveSpace with current updates here.

Our Own Travelling Vagina Warrior

Whitney Smith, director of last year's Vagina Monologues and active supporter of V-Day Waco, has left us.

When I say "left us" I really mean it: she's on her way to Tanzania.

Everyone who knows Whitney Smith knows her as an ardent activist and a staunch supporter of causes she believes in. Whitney doesn't just talk the talk; she walks the walk too, even if it means travelling all the way to Africa to serve in the Peace Corps. She'll serve a 27-month tour in Tanzania, working as a Health Volunteer in a small village.

Part of her duties will include educating the local population about HIV/AIDS prevention. Tanzania has one of the highest per capita rates of HIV infection in Africa-- close to 9% according to a 2005 UNAIDS study-- and over half of those infected are young women.

Whitney has volunteered more than two years of her life to help stop the spread of this and other deadly diseases in this country in southeastern Africa, as far from what we think of as "civilization" as you can imagine.

No phone, no lights, no motorcars...

...well, perhaps it won't be quite that bad... at least she'll have internet access. Whitney plans to blog about her experiences in Africa (here, at Don't Just Wish For Peace, Work For It) and we've invited her to keep us all updated here on this blog as well.

Why is she doing this? She's just graduated from Baylor with an MFA in Theatre. She has friends and family all around, and is actively involved in local organizations such as V-Day Waco. In this excerpt from her blog, Whitney explains:

It isn't enough to wish for something...you have to work at it. This means
taking a leap into the dark, taking a journey into the unkown...even if it takes
you to a foreign country. Of course this lesson must manifest itself differently
for each person. The Peace Corps is just my way to take an active part in my
world, my beliefs and my goals. So, each day as I passed this sign [of the Dalai Llama on Valley Mills] on my way to rehearsal, I kept being reminded of the importance of being an active player in your own life. I still see the sign everyday and I remember why I am doing this. I feel each person in this world deserves happiness, comfort and encouragement. We should all work for it in our own way. [See the full post here.]

A term was coined when the national V-Day movement first began; the term is "Vagina Warrior" and it refers to people who actively work for the empowerment of women everywhere.

Whitney Smith is one of Waco's own real-life Vagina Warriors. She's been an inspiration to all of us, and we're proud to call her our friend. We'll miss her, but will keep close tabs on her mission of peace and goodwill.

You go Whitney!

(Whitney is pictured on the left above, next to Kelsey Ervi, in a photo taken at the 2008 Vagina Monologues production)