Local Women In 60-Mile Breast Cancer Walk
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Local Women In 60-Mile Breast Cancer Walk
By Jennifer [email protected]
Cook, 36, Mentone, and Wiedeman, 33, Winona Lake, will participate in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in Chicago.
The walk is Aug. 7-9 and includes an opening ceremony, with a closing ceremony at Soldier Field.[[In-content Ad]]They will walk with thousands of breast cancer survivors and those who support breast cancer research.
Cook and Wiedeman are employed at Lakeside Family Dentistry, Warsaw. Cook has been a dental hygienist there for 14 years. Wiedeman has been a dental assistant there for six years.
Wiedeman has two daughters. She is married to Brad Wiedeman, who is an air force reserve recruiter. She said she wants to see a cure for breast cancer in their lifetime.
Wiedeman said three generations of her family have battled breast cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and is a survivor.
Wiedeman's grandmother also was diagnosed last year with breast cancer, and her great-grandmother died from breast cancer.
"After my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year I felt I needed to do something," Wiedeman said.
Cook, on the other hand, is walking in honor of her friend Gretta Gross-Engel, formerly of Warsaw. The friends met in seventh grade.
Gross-Engel now lives in Chicago and is a breast cancer survivor. Gross-Engel's parents are Marlin and Angela Gross, Warsaw.
Cook said her brother has had thyroid cancer and her mother had uterian cancer.
Cook is married to Jon Cook, who is a conservation officer in Kosciusko County, and they have two sons.
Walking long distances together is nothing new to the friends.
Cook and Wiedeman said, although it will be their first time for participating in the walk, they participated in 2005 in a 13-mile mini-marathon in Indianapolis.
"We have been workout partners for a couple of years," Cook said. "It's easier when you have someone to keep you accountable."
Cook and Wiedeman said they registered for the race in February and have been training ever since.
In February they started walking five or six miles a day. The women get together in the mornings before work and try to walk three to four miles on weekdays and walk 12-18 miles on weekends.
"It's very time consuming because we both have children," Cook said.
They also have done some cross training and been in a body sculpting class.
"When you walk long distances you find muscles you never knew you had," Cook said.
Cook and Wiedeman individually have raised $2,300 each and have a goal of raising $3,000 each.
They said friends, family, businesses and Lakeside Family Dentistry patients have been generous in their financial donations. Cook's and Gross-Engel's former classmates also have donated funds through Facebook.
A container was set up at the dentist office for patients to donate funds.
They also raised funds through a bake sale and garage sale.
People interested in donating funds for the walk can visit www.the3day.org and type in Cook's and Wiedeman's names to donate.
Cook, 36, Mentone, and Wiedeman, 33, Winona Lake, will participate in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in Chicago.
The walk is Aug. 7-9 and includes an opening ceremony, with a closing ceremony at Soldier Field.[[In-content Ad]]They will walk with thousands of breast cancer survivors and those who support breast cancer research.
Cook and Wiedeman are employed at Lakeside Family Dentistry, Warsaw. Cook has been a dental hygienist there for 14 years. Wiedeman has been a dental assistant there for six years.
Wiedeman has two daughters. She is married to Brad Wiedeman, who is an air force reserve recruiter. She said she wants to see a cure for breast cancer in their lifetime.
Wiedeman said three generations of her family have battled breast cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and is a survivor.
Wiedeman's grandmother also was diagnosed last year with breast cancer, and her great-grandmother died from breast cancer.
"After my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year I felt I needed to do something," Wiedeman said.
Cook, on the other hand, is walking in honor of her friend Gretta Gross-Engel, formerly of Warsaw. The friends met in seventh grade.
Gross-Engel now lives in Chicago and is a breast cancer survivor. Gross-Engel's parents are Marlin and Angela Gross, Warsaw.
Cook said her brother has had thyroid cancer and her mother had uterian cancer.
Cook is married to Jon Cook, who is a conservation officer in Kosciusko County, and they have two sons.
Walking long distances together is nothing new to the friends.
Cook and Wiedeman said, although it will be their first time for participating in the walk, they participated in 2005 in a 13-mile mini-marathon in Indianapolis.
"We have been workout partners for a couple of years," Cook said. "It's easier when you have someone to keep you accountable."
Cook and Wiedeman said they registered for the race in February and have been training ever since.
In February they started walking five or six miles a day. The women get together in the mornings before work and try to walk three to four miles on weekdays and walk 12-18 miles on weekends.
"It's very time consuming because we both have children," Cook said.
They also have done some cross training and been in a body sculpting class.
"When you walk long distances you find muscles you never knew you had," Cook said.
Cook and Wiedeman individually have raised $2,300 each and have a goal of raising $3,000 each.
They said friends, family, businesses and Lakeside Family Dentistry patients have been generous in their financial donations. Cook's and Gross-Engel's former classmates also have donated funds through Facebook.
A container was set up at the dentist office for patients to donate funds.
They also raised funds through a bake sale and garage sale.
People interested in donating funds for the walk can visit www.the3day.org and type in Cook's and Wiedeman's names to donate.
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