Walker Stalkers

One thing that really blew me away during the 3 Day was the dedication and energy of the "walker stalkers."  These were people who basically spent the entire weekend along the course, cheering us on. We would see them several times a day. They would set up "shop" in one place and do their schtick, then move a few miles down the route and do it all over again.

Their themes varied, from a guy with a camera (whom we saw at least 8 times on day 1), to outrageous men with watermelons in pink bras and wigs dancing to loud music they brought in 80's style boom boxes. Some were a little embarrassing, even. It was nuts!  Dogs were spray painted pink, or dressed in pink tutus. It was a riot.  Many would offer little treats by the side of the road: a sticker; kleenex; or piece of candy.  It was touching to see how much support was out there. As the miles wore on, having that cheering and encouragement was very uplifting.

The stalkers were very energized and that energy would spill over onto the walkers. It would be very hard, I think, to keep that level of energy up all day.  But they did it.

I couldn't help but wonder WHY these people would be doing this. I had plenty of time to contemplate and imagine stories for particular people.  Perhaps a wife was lost to breast cancer?  Or maybe a mother, daughter, sister.  I guess their reasons for doing what they were doing were as varied and similar as the reasons each walker had.

Anyway, the walker stalkers definitely added flavor and joy to the event. I'm thankful that they took the time to support us.  This video will give you a taste of what it was like: