Welcome to my blog, Kristen Walks!
I am a biomedical research advocate with a personal passion for raising money to find a cure for breast cancer. I have walked in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure three times and plan to walk as often as necessary until we find a cure. I also take part in a number of smaller events throughout the year, including the Race for the Cure and the Relay for Life. This blog is one of the main tools that I use to promote my advocacy activities and to keep my supporters up to date on my progress.
My mom and I at the 2008 Atlanta 3 Day for the Cure
In 2010, I was honored to be named a Online Ambassador for the 3 Day for the Cure. As part of my ambassador efforts, I work hard to recruit and guide newer walkers as they embark on their own 3 Day journey. I will often post about fundraising tips and training advice that I have found useful in the past. I have also found this blog to be a great way to strengthen the vibrant online 3 Day community that has emerged through social networking. I am very involved with the 3 Day Tweeps (our online 3 Day family) and I encourage everyone that is interested in the Tweeps to check out our website, here. I hope that through this blog and the 3 Day Tweeps website, I can help to demystify what it means to take on an event like the 3 Day and to help bring our online community a little closer.
In my real life, I am not just an advocate for biomedical research, but I am actually a biomedical scientist myself. I will be completing my PhD in Neuroscience at Emory University in the spring of 2011 and I am looking forward to pursuing a career outside the lab in research advocacy and science policy. I believe very strongly that the most effective advocates for better funding for scientific research are educated advocates. Being able to explain exactly where those fundraising dollars are going can make the difference between a one time donation and a regular supporter. As I complete my degree and time allows, I am hoping to expand this blog to talk more about how science is actually done, why it's so darn expensive and how the money raised by advocates like myself really is making a difference in the fight against breast cancer.
Working hard at my microscope!
Finally, even though I currently live in the heart of Atlanta, I am an Upstate New Yorker at heart. I am a die hard Yankees fan and it is entirely possible that I bleed pinstripes. I have a great husband named Mike (who is often referred to in my online life as "Hubs") and the best dog in the world, Shenanigans. They both pop up here a lot. I am not a morning person AT ALL and I drink too much coffee to compensate for it. I cannot cook and I cannot sing, but I have been known to get infectiously excited about things that I am passionate about. And I've recently started running, which you can read more about on the Kristen Runs page of this blog.
Oh yeah, and I'm the "owner" of the infamous 3 Day Mug.
Thanks for reading!
