By Yvonne Betowt
The Huntsville Times
Even though it's been 13 years since Kathleen Moore's mother died from breast cancer, Moore hasn't forgotten the horrors of the disease that claims 40,000 lives each year in the United States.
Early this year, when Moore heard about the Susan G. Komen 60-mile Breast Cancer Walk in Atlanta, she decided to form a team to walk in memory of her mother, Becky Starr, and friends who had either lost their lives to breast cancer or had survived it.
The team, called the Distance Divas, included four from Madison County - Moore, Ann Marie Batista, Janet Pohl, and Bridget Dietz, who was undergoing chemo treatments following a double mastectomy surgery Jan. 29. Dietz' mother, Maria Fabris of Arizona, also joined the group which successfully completed the three-day walk Sunday and raised $20,000 in the process.
"I was moved by the number of people I knew that had breast cancer, and when I heard about Bridget, that just sealed it," said Batista, who works at Butler High School in a federal program.
Moore, a former teacher at Buckhorn and Ridgecrest schools, agrees.
"She (Bridget) is truly an inspiration," said Moore. "If she can do this through surgery and chemo, the rest of us have nothing to complain about."
The fact the group raised $20,000 in such a short amount of time was "pretty amazing," said Moore. "It is surprising how generous so many people have been."
The Atlanta walk, which raised $6.6 million, was one of 12 around the nation that have been held nearly every weekend since the first one in Boston Aug. 2-5. They will conclude with a walk in San Diego Nov. 9-11.
"It was awesome," said Dietz by cell phone en route back to Huntsville Monday. "It was a good experience, but it was tough mentally and emotionally and there were a lot more hills than we anticipated."
Despite the blisters, a few leg cramps and colder-than-expected nighttime temperatures, the five women were determined to finish the walk.
"As long as we kept moving, we were OK," said Dietz.
The women began a rigorous training program in which they walked an average of 25 miles a week up and down Bailey Cove Road in southeast Huntsville. They had walked more than 500 miles in preparation for the walk.
They weren't the only walkers representing Madison County. Other local teams included Feet of Hope and Breast Friends.
Before the walk, Moore, Batista and Dietz were all good friends and fellow church members at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Each has two young children, so they had already formed a Baby Group before joining together as a walking team.
"It has involved a lot of commitment," said Batista. "Our family members have really stepped in to help out with taking care of the children. We've learned a lot about each other. It's been really great."
