Gilda’s Gang Blog Closing; Watch for Us on Facebook in 2013

The time has come to retire the Gilda’s Gang blog. This will be the last post, but I plan to leave the blog up, for at least a while, so that folks who stumble across it can find out about Gilda’s Club and Gilda’s Gang training for the 2013 Country Music Half Marathon.

When the fund-raising and training season begins right after New Year’s, we’ll launch a Facebook group for Gang participants to connect, share experiences and encourage one another. I look forward to seeing you there!

In the meantime, thank you to those who followed this blog. Being the official blogger for Gilda’s Gang for the past few years has been an honor.

Learn more about Gilda’s Club and Gilda’s Gang here.

Nothing like training with your teen-age daughters to keep you accountable

Our guest blog today comes from Kimberly Farmer, one of several moms who are training with their daughters (including me and my daughter, Mary Jane). 

I committed to participating in the 1/2 marathon as part of my own health initiative by setting goals to get fit while losing weight. I thought to myself, “What better way to commit than to think big,  strategize, and make it happen with a group of great folks to hold me accountable like Gilda’s Gang?”

My girls, Dannah (15) and Katelyn (14), have always been active teenagers who were involved in multiple sports; however, they had never challenged themselves to a training program ending in 13.1 miles. As the Week 1 training drew near, they asked me if they could participate as well.  I couldn’t say no considering they took the initiative to pay their own participation fees and were willing to get up for training on their Saturdays off.

As I crossed Week 5 off of the training schedule on the refrigerator, I realized that I am so blessed to have “my girls” right by my side each step of this journey. My very own “accountability team” lives with me, works out with me, and still loves me despite being “mom.”

See Kimberly’s First Giving page.

Are you part of a mother-daughter Gilda’s Gang training duo (or more)? Share your story below in the comments section or by clicking the “Share Your Story” tab at the top and completing the submission form.

Fill in the blank: I love Gilda’s Gang because _____________.

I spent a gorgeous morning in Nashville walking downtown, laughing and catching up with a couple of dear friends, admiring some handsome runners, and seeing our city in a way that you only do when you walk.

That why I love Gilda’s Gang today.

Now it’s your turn. Fill in the blank: I love Gilda’s Gang because _____________.

Kodak Moments: What’s Your Story?

Our guest blog today comes from Anne Washburn, who is recording our adventures in pictures. This post will give you a better sense of the person behind the camera.

As the self-proclaimed Gilda’s Gang 2012 ‘official photographer’, I have to admit this exciting new project came with a hint of pressure.

In a rare moment in front of the camera, Anne surrounded by the loves her life, her nieces and nephew.

How can I possibly capture the essence of Gilda’s Gang for everyone to see? How can I ensure my images tell the story of survivorship, hope and the bond that comes when two strangers share the same cancer diagnosis?

During week 3 of our Gang training, I had a revelation while trying to catch up with the next bundle of walkers. The images of camaraderie and determination that I am capturing through my lens are a part of my own Gang experience and own story. It is fine for those who view, and perhaps artistically critique my photographs, to not fully understand what caught my eye. For example, the survivor who was wearing the bright-colored ‘bling’ cap. I was imagining she wears this hat during dark days of treatment and uncertainty. Other Kodak moments have included the coaches empowering us on the inclines; the Gang walking in a pack as if an army conquering cancer; caregivers sharing their ‘Member Moments” in memory of their parents; and several mothers training hand-in-hand with their daughters.

As I was finishing the last mile of the course, I took very few photos. I began thinking about one of my favorite photographs of my Mom, taken a couple months before her pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 1987. My Dad captured perfectly her happiness as they were traveling in Europe. Today, I look at the picture closely, hardly believing she has been gone for 23 years. But, how I love that the image reminds me that I carry so many of her physical features. I look at her smile feeling as if I just saw it yesterday. The simple photo provides such comfort and tells a whole story that I can hardly explain.

Gilda’s Gang is about stories whether captured with a camera or not. What stories have you captured?

To learn more about Anne’s story, visit her FirstGiving page.

Follow Anne’s photography journey with the Gang.