Sep. 4--The voices of strong, motivated and energetic women echoed off the brick in a small room filled with cancer survivors and their supporters during the Breast Cancer Boot Camp 2008 summer session graduation last week at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, 3482 E. River road.
Troop leader Anita Kellman congratulated the graduates for making it through the summer.
"These women came to boot camp this summer and survived the sun, the rain and the monsoon season," she said.
Boot camp is not just an exercise regimen; it is also a support group.
"No one should ever be alone when they are going through this," Kellman said.
Breast cancer survivor Jan Minas was at the event.
"It's unique because it's definitely not an emotional type of support group. It's more about survivorship and coping," she said.
Minas was celebrating not only her boot camp graduation, but also her last chemotherapy treatment.
"Boot camp really helped me get through the eight months of chemo feeling strong," she said.
The camp is changing its name to Beat Cancer Boot Camp.
The boot camp is open to anyone with cancer and supporters of cancer patients.
"Everyone is at different levels. You come and do what you can do," said Kellman.
For more information on Beat Cancer Boot Camp, go online to www.bcbootcamp.org or call 546-1601.
--Contact photographer Jill Torrance at 573-4155 or jtorrance@azstarnet.com. To see more of The Arizona Daily Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.azstarnet.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson