Wichita YMCA's Livestrong: Empowering cancer patients

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Each step up the stairs represents a bigger success for Miketo Kirk.
Before joining the Greater Wichita YMCA's Livestrong program, a flight of stairs could've been a mountain.
'When I first got here, I was just so weak you cannot even imagine,' she explained. 'This chair right here. I couldn't even get up and down out of it.'
In spring 2024, Kirk was diagnosed with head and neck cancer.
'I had 37 rounds of radiation and six rounds of chemo,' she said.
Once in remission, she joined Livestrong.
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'So we're helping individuals regain their strength, their stamina. We work on flexibility and balance,' said Debbie Cruz, Greater Wichita YMCA's Livestrong program director.
The 12-week program is free for anyone who has ever received a cancer diagnosis, regardless if they are a member at the Y.
'It could have been 10 years ago. It could have been 10 days ago,' Cruz said.
The group meets twice a week for 90 minutes. For the first hour, a trainer helps them build muscle; the second part focuses on building bonds.
'Until you've experienced (cancer), you really don't understand. So as they come together, they can say, 'yeah, I get it. I understand,'' Cruz said.
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Each session is a safe space for survivors.
'In my life, I am the strong person. I am not able to cry around other people, but in here, I've been able to cry and let all that stuff out,' Miketo said.
The program sets the stage for a total transformation.
'That was a whole different woman, a whole different woman,' Miketo reflected.
She's now a woman who's ready to keep pushing.
YMCA's Livestrong is available across Wichita, Hutchinson, El Dorado, Andover and Newton. It's free whether or not you are a member. Once the 12 weeks are over, there is an alumni group that meets once a month.
You can sign up by emailing debbie.cruz@ymcawichita.org.
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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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