Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA

The Tampa YMCA offers many health programs to improve the lives of our community.  Our race benefits our health programs, focusing primarily on the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA Cancer survivor program. Your donations help those who have battled cancer have a chance to reclaim their health in a supportive group setting for small group exercise training sessions.  In their groups, participants not only gain physical strength, but get support from other survivors and their coach. 

What some of our participants have to say about the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program:

Anne: “There were many women who felt they were by themselves throughout their treatment.  Here they felt ‘gee there are other people who have cancer just like me.’”

Besides sharing experiences with other breast cancer survivors, Anne says she got stronger from the program. “It was a lot of strength training and also balance that really did help. I had some disabilities with my arms after surgeries and I was able to overcome those disabilities and am able to work with my arms and my balance much more and my energy levels have gone through the roof. It’s been fantastic. Also, finding out I could do things I didn’t know I could do.”

Chris: “As a college athlete, I had always worked out but it was more major weight stuff.  At the Y, the trainer was putting me through a lot of body weight and TRX routines. You start to use your brain again. She and I just really clicked. She knew how to push me to just the right limit. She knew when I was getting too tired, too frustrated or just having a rough day. She was fantastic! I know I would not be as far along without the YMCA It truly is a life-changing program. If you have been through treatment, in my opinion, this is part of recovery.”

Sharon:“It was the community spirit, the involvement. My LIVESTRONG coach introduced us to so many people, so you felt like you were part of a group because there were other people going through the same thing you went through. It was a great support system.” 

Lynn:  After the chemo, radiation and surgeries, I felt beaten down and was feeling sorry for myself, but everything changed when I joined LIVESTRONG at the YMCA. Some people say it saved my life- it brought me back to life."  “Almost everybody knows someone with cancer, even if they have had it 10, 15 years ago and are still concerned because they’re worried it might come back. This program is for them.”