WHITE SALMON — Tracy Barkhimer considers herself lucky. At 60 years old, she is a two-time breast cancer survivor in the past 10years. Her diagnoses were both made early thanks to monthly self-breast exams and annual mammogram screenings.
She personally knows of several women who have lost the battle to breast cancer that might still be with us if only they had gotten their screenings early. This week, Tracy Barkhimer, a White Salmon resident, has committed to walk 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day along with hundreds of other women and men who participate to make a personal difference in the fight to end breast cancer.
This will be her second 60-mile walk. Tracy has a teenage daughter at Columbia High School and is inspired to walk in order to raise awareness for young women and secure funding so that every woman (and man) has access to medical screenings. Last year, she started her journey alone and at the kickoff for the San Diego event, after raising her hand to the emcee’s multiple questions on being a first timer at the 3-Day, being a survivor, being a 2-time survivor, being a Veteran and being a solo walker, a woman with a pink ‘poof’ on top of her head, came up to her, wrapped her arms around her and said, “Come with me, you’re not alone anymore.
” And with an absolute overwhelming feeling of emotions and tears in her eyes, she was ‘adopted’ and became part of an amazing, small group of women. She stayed with the group for the entire thre.
