Lori Hommerding got moral support along the way from her daughter, Rheanna, as she completed the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure in the Twin Cities in August.
Lori Hommerding of Grand Marais crossed the finish line of the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure in the Twin Cities on August 26, completing not only the difficult accomplishment of walking 60 miles over three days, but also raising $2,480 for the Komen Foundation.
Hommerding was one of 1,400 walkers who raised $3.8 million to fight breast cancer and to increase awareness of the disease.
Hommerding said a friend asked her if she wanted to do the event and after thinking about the women she knew affected by breast cancer, she said yes. The friend ended up not being able to make the walk, so Hommerding was alone at the start. Fortunately, she said organizers were very friendly and helpful. And all along the route, people lined the streets. “There were cheerleaders and pep bands cheering us on. There were people all along the route holding up encouraging signs and handing out water or pop. Everyone was so supportive,” she said.
She also got a lot of support from her daughter, Rheanna, who lives in the Twin Cities. She stayed at Rheanna’s house after walking each night.
Hommerding also started walking with another woman who was alone, Barb Hum of Maple Grove, MN. They chatted along the way, which made the journey easier. They walked 19.8 miles the first day; 22 miles the second and on the final day, 17. “You need someone to talk to. We pushed each other to keep going,” Hommerding said.
“About 15 miles in each day my feet were killing me,” said Hommerding. She had two different pairs of shoes and changed socks frequently, coating her feet with Glide, which helps prevent chafing. It worked, said Hommerding. “I only had one blister!”
However, she said the last day was really tough. The finish line was at the Minnesota State Capitol and she said toward the end of that day, she was really tired and ready to quit. Then someone said there were only two or three miles left. “No problem then,” laughed Hommerding. “There was no way I was going to quit when I was that close!”
Hommerding said she and her new walking partner, Barb Hum, both plan to do the walk again. “Maybe next year we’ll do it with our daughters,” she said.
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