Teens train for breast cancer walk in honor of aunt - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Two metro area teens are gearing up for one of the biggest challenges of their lives. They're going to walk 60 miles in three days to honor an aunt they lost to breast cancer.

Margaret Gilbert was only 39 when she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Her nieces were just 10 -- too young to fully understand what breast cancer can do to a family.  Now, six years later, they know and they're finally old enough to fight back.

An athlete and high school swim coach, Margaret Gilbert was the youngest of four sisters with four young girls of her own.

Margaret's nieces, Lizzy White and Megan Shirley, were only in the fifth grade when Margaret was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.

"I remember the day we found out, I was at basketball practice.  A friend had to bring me home because my mom had to leave.  It was just really hard. And everyone was just like, we couldn't believe it," said White.

For two years, Margaret fought cancer with everything she had.

"She basically said, ‘I will do whatever it takes. Whatever treatment is out there, whatever it takes, I will do it,'" said Tina Shirley, Margaret's sister.

And as Margaret battled through treatment, her older sisters Tina and Annie joined friends to walk their first Susan G. Komen three-Day -- 60 miles -- in Margaret's honor.

It's become a family tradition, the girls too young to walk, celebrated at the finish line.

But Margaret's cancer marched on, too.

"And as the disease progressed, she never said, ‘It's too much, I can't, I can't do this,'" said Shirley.

Margaret Gilbert died at 41.

"I really loved her; I miss her lot," said White.

Four years later, Lizzy and Megan, are now 16 and officially old enough to walk in the three-day.

"I'm a little nervous," said Megan Shirley.

"I'm walking this year with two of my cousins, two of my aunts," said White.

"I'm excited for them, and I'm also a little nervous," said Tina Shirley.

Tina is training for her fifth three-day. They call themselves the Gilbert Girls, each year designing their own t-shirt.

"It'll be interesting to see how they do.  Sixty miles over three days. I keep telling them, it's all about the feet.  Keep your feet happy, and you'll be fine," said Tina Shirley.

To get to the start line, Lizzy and Megan each have to raise $2,300 dollars -- not easy on a teenage budget. But they're getting there, and they feel Margaret's spirit pushing them on.

"I can just tell that this is what I should be doing. Whenever I get down, I can feel her just like, telling me that it's good and that I need to keep going with it," said White.

"When I go and train, I feel her, she helps me get through it.  She'll help me get through it." said Megan Shirley.

Margaret Gilbert would have celebrated her 45th birthday on September 2.

"And I guarantee, had she been able to, Margaret would've walked with us as well," said Tina Shirley.

Lizzy and Megan have about seven weeks left to raise the money and get in some training walks. Tina says it's all about the right shoes, the right socks and the right attitude.

To read more about the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk in Atlanta, go to:
http://www.the3day.org.

If you wish to support the Gilbert Girls team featured in our story,  type "Gilbert Girls" in the "participant search" box or search for Elizabeth White and Megan Shirley.