Why I walk… I walk in honor of my dad, Wil Mandat, and my brother-in-law, Brian. My dad began having flu-like symptoms during my sister’s wedding, but we later learned he had been having heart attacks throughout the day. At the time, I was living in Florida, and it was incredibly hard to leave him in the hospital, as he had to have a quadruple bypass. Thankfully, my dad lived for many more years, but we sadly lost him to pancreatic cancer at the age of 52. Last year, we lost my brother-in-law, Brian, very suddenly. He was extremely active, took no medications, and passed away at just 56 years old.

I walk because their stories remind me how important awareness, early detection, and continued research truly are. If sharing our experiences can help support lifesaving research and give other families more time with the people they love, then every step is worth it.