On Her Feet for the Cause

An excursion along 54 1/2 miles of scenic coastline might be a short, lovely car trip. Or a moderately difficult bike ride.

Undoubtedly, it would be a grueling walk, even taken over three days.

But for Joan Stelman--a 65-year-old wife, mother, grandmother and cancer survivor--such a walk is an inspiration, and a goal that has consumed her mentally and physically during six months of intense training.

The event is the second annual Avon Breast Cancer Three-Day Walk, in which participants travel down the coast from Santa Barbara to Malibu between Friday and Sunday. The money raised from the walk will support education and early cancer-detection programs.

Stelman has prepared herself for the big day with long training walks that start at 6 a.m. She also has a motivational mantra.

“I tell myself, ‘You’re gonna walk this walk, Joanie. You’re going to make it.’ ”

Stelman knows she will make it, but worries she might not make it in time. She imagines one of the dreadful sweep vans, which pick up stragglers and bring them closer to the finish line, having to stop for her.

“I just won’t be swept up,” she said with a laugh.

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Aside from that minor fear, training for the walk has been rigorous and transforming for the Thousand Oaks resident.

“This has been a great adventure for me,” she said from her home. “I’ve really loved the training. It’s going to be a letdown when it’s over.”

The walk itself is the culmination of a goal, so it will also mean the end of training sessions that Stelman attends with other walkers, a ritual she will miss, she said. A 16-year breast cancer survivor, she calls herself the matriarch of a 30-to-60-person training group that meets twice a week in the mornings to prepare for the long walk.

The group of mostly women--many of whom are cancer survivors--meet at Deana Sun’s Agoura Hills home and walk for six to eight hours.

“When I first met Joan she was walking seven days a week,” Sun said. “I had to tell her to stop doing that and let her muscles rebuild. She’s extremely determined.”

Stelman said the training time flies and the walkers are often surprised when they arrive at their destination so quickly.

“We laugh, we tell jokes, we cry thinking about that last mile crossing the finish line,” she said. “I can’t even express the feeling I have thinking about that. It wells up in me because of what is going to happen to all those millions of dollars we raised to save lives.”

All walkers are expected to raise $1,700 through pledges or donations. But Stelman has raised $5,600. “I sent out over 200 letters to everybody I could think of,” she said.

Los Angeles is the last city to host this year’s walk. Chicago, New York and Atlanta had similar events in the spring and summer. Next year Boston, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco are also planning to participate.

“Our goal is for everyone to have a great time and raise as much money as we can,” said Samantha Farrar, media relations specialist for the three-day walk. “What we accomplished last year was pretty amazing, and we hope to do it again.”

Last year, nearly 2,300 people walked in the event and raised about $5 million, Farrar said. About 4,000 people have registered this year, and about 3,200 are expected to walk, she said.

Since the money helps pay for some cancer-detection programs for poor women, Stelman said, “this is a great thing for those people who can’t afford to pay for mammograms.”

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This year’s walk will be the first time Stelman has donated her time and money to the breast cancer cause. Her determination shows in her training schedule: In addition to the treks she takes with the training group, she also walks 10-15 miles alone twice a week while listening to “the now music--you know, not the ‘50s stuff.”

Even with all the effort, she still has a nagging doubt about the last day--the 22-mile stretch to the finish.

In her heart she believes she won’t be one of the stragglers who needs to be swept up.

Sun said Stelman should make it the whole way.

“I know Joan is worried about it, but she’s in extremely good shape,” Sun said. “Her group may cut it close, but they are determined and they’ll make it.”

Just to be sure, Stelman continues to give herself the talk: “No, that will not happen to me. I’m absolutely not going to be swept up. I will walk from Santa Barbara to Malibu.”