Walking nearly 40 miles over the course of two days is a difficult task for almost anyone to accomplish — much less for someone in their late 60s.

With the support of by her teammates and the knowledge that her efforts were going toward the eradication of the disease that plagued she and her family, Dowagiac’s Wilma Chamberlain managed to achieve this daunting goal last weekend.

Chamberlain, along with her daughter Waynette Carlile and friend Sue Mason, participated in the Avon Foundation’s AVON 39 event, which took place on Saturday and Sunday in Chicago. The three women walked 39.3 miles, completing the challenge in just under 10 hours over the course of the weekend.

“It was hard, but it was worth it,” Chamberlain said.

The national charity walkathon is intended to raise money for breast cancer research, with teams collecting donations to participate in the event. Chamberlain and her team, Pink and Perky, raised more than $6,000 in contributions from local businesses, residents and friends from throughout the area.

Walking into the local Curves studio Monday morning, in their AVON 39 attire, Chamberlain and Mason received a standing ovation from the other gym members for their achievement that weekend. The two had spent the last several months training at the Dowagiac workout center to prepare for the arduous task.

“We were told “all you have is all it takes,’” Mason said. “And it took everything we had.”

Chamberlain, a breast cancer survivor, is hoping that her team’s contribution will help ensure a future without the disease.

“I feel like the money we collected is all going where it’s supposed to go,” she said.