Breast Cancer Has a Name...

Today, we are honoring those that have been effected by this disease. I had heard the words "Breast Cancer", I had seen the ribbons and the pink products all over the place in October, I knew that it had effected many, but I never stopped to really, deeply care until it hit my home. Until I cried the tears over it, I never stopped to really think that there is a face and a name with every instance of breast cancer.

Last year when we walked in the Austin Komen Race for the Cure we had 40+ people on our team! It was amazing!! All of our friends and family walked to support my mother and our family, but many walked for other men and women. They walked for their own mothers, their own grandmothers, sisters, aunts, etc. We made a banner with the names of those that our team was specifically walking for. It was truly amazing. To see those women's names, both survivors and those that bravely fought the battle they couldn't win, really reminded us of why we were walking.

We will walk the 3-Day for our mother, but we will be walking for everyone touched by breast cancer. Take a moment to leave a comment and make it personal. Give breast cancer a name. We will be walking for each and every one!!

Mom and Dad

Our 2009 Race for the Cure Team in Austin, TX

Well I'll be-dazzled!

You would think that mom would initially be captivated by the thought of raising thousands to support breast cancer, taking a challenge with her precious daughters and best friend, and pushing her mind and body beyond what she thinks is possible. But when first presented with the idea of walking the 3-day, she was hesitant. The hesitation only grew stronger when she found out that you actually sleep in tents at night. Then, it was brought to her attention that there would be a "tent decorating contest". Well why didn't you say so? Pack your feathers, leopard print and rhinestones...You had me at hello!

Something tells me you'll be able to pick us out of the crowd!

Photo by Bruce Stoehr

If the Shoe Fits....

If you're going to train for 28 weeks and cap it off by walking 60 miles you might as well get some new shoes out of the deal, right? We decided that our first purchase better be a good pair of shoes, so mom and I spent a decent portion of Saturday morning making best friends with the guys at the Georgetown RunTex. Many of you know that mom has NEVER met a stranger, and this was no exception!

We explained that we needed some running/walking shoes and that we would be putting a LOT of miles on those bad boys over the next 8 months. If only it were that easy! Mom proceeded to tell him that "This and this is where it hurts when I play tennis." Pointing to spots A and B. "And this is where I need lots of support," pointing to spots C and D. And, oh by the way, we need them to be CUTE! James and Donny (our new BFFs) chuckled only slightly and accepted the challenge of finding us the perfect pair of shoes.

After watching us walk and measuring every possible place to measure on our foot, the "trying on" began. Y'all, I have a weird foot. My foot is wide and I have a really high arch. Can SOMEBODY make a cute shoe for people with wide feet and high arches? Somebody?? Every shoe that came out for me was practically a space boot. A space boot with lots of orange. Mom, on the other hand, had every cute shoe in the world to choose from because she didn't need a wider width. Some girls have all the luck.

I did have one decent looking pair of shoes that I tried on, but James told me that I HAD to choose my final shoe based on comfort and not looks. I tried on about 6 pairs of shoes and found my perfect match. And they were the UGLY ones! I told James that I think I grew up a little bit during that process...you know, choosing the ugly shoes over the cuter shoes simply based on the extra padding in the heel.

James moved on to mom, and he had no idea his fun was only beginning. She tried on a lot of the same shoes I did, but had more to choose from because she doesn't have such a high maintenance foot! James told her the same thing he told me, "Choose based on comfort, not looks. If we get down to 2 shoes that are equally comfortable then and ONLY then, you can choose based on looks." OK, James. Simmer down! So mom started trying on....and trying on...and when James wasn't looking she opened the box of admittedly the ugliest shoes EVER. I wouldn't have bought them if they had been made of clouds! She gently shut the box and pretended the whole thing never happened. James came back over and mom had selected what she deemed to be the perfect shoe for her! Victory!

As James was packing up all the boxes, he opened the box with the hideous shoes still neatly in their place. He said, "Oh, did you try these? I didn't see them on you." Mom hesitated for a moment as I was deeply curious of what excuse she would use, and then she sighed and said, "James, I'm going to be honest with you because we're friends now. I didn't try those on because I can tell you right now I wouldn't wear shoes that ugly."

She did always tell me that honestly is the best policy. Love it. And we LOVE RunTex! Our new shoes are SO comfy and I know they will serve us well. So when you see me walking around Austin with my Oklahoma State Cowboys orange and black shoes please don't point and laugh. Know that I made that fashion decision based on comfort and not the opinions of others!

She swears these weren't all her boxes. That some were left from the woman before her. I swear they are all hers!

Mom trying on the cute shoe that I turned down for the comfortable shoe....

James. Our super friendly, "shoe-law abiding", shoe fitter extraordinaire! (Who bears a striking resemblance to Woody Harrelson!)

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes" ~ Jack Handey

A Step of Faith...

Thank you for visiting Our Sole Purpose!

Many of you reading this know our story. You know our family, you know our mother, you have walked our journey with us. You have prayed with us, encouraged us and shown strength, hope and love when we needed it the most. For those of you that do not know us, our story is one of hope… Our Mother, Vicki Rogers, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in the Fall of 2005. As many of you probably know, as a child, hearing your parent has cancer is not an easy thing to swallow. Knowing your mother is sick, and fearing the unknown is a tough place to be. After undergoing weeks of intensive chemotherapy followed by a double mastectomy and radiation, she pressed on with the hope of becoming cancer free. With the love and care of a wonderful Doctor and the encouragement of family, dear friends and even strangers…she was healed.

Four years later, we walk. On the weekend of November 6th, we will gather together in Dallas with thousands of other participants for a 3-day, 60 mile test of endurance, faith and tennis shoes! We will walk side by side with our mother, and mom’s dear friend Coleen Davis with the mission of finding a cure. Each walker must raise a minimum of $2,300. You can see that as a family of 3 walkers, we will need to raise close to $7,000! That will be a wonderful donation to the Komen foundation! Imagine the opportunity for advances in technology, new treatments, or even a CURE because of the financial contributions raised through this walk. To the right of this page you will see three links for our personal Komen pages. This page is where you will find information about the 3-day walk and where you can make a donation should you want to. Please join us in our journey by prayer, a donation, or both, and we will bring you along for every shin splint, iced knee, and memory along the way.

Many of you have joined us for Race for the Cure in Austin over the past three years and we will be walking for you. We will represent Team Zsa Zsa through the 3-day and we will share our journey through this blog. We will keep you updated on our training progress, share stories from “the road”, and hopefully entertain you with our antics and inspire you with our hope for a cure. Thank you so much for your support – you are our strength, after all.

As Cinderella once said, “The right shoe can change your life,” and that is our prayer. Lord, guide our steps.

Love to you all,
Kristen, Vicki and Tiffany

Team OSP

Tiffany, Kristen and Mom (Vicki)

Mom and Coleen