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Member Spotlight: Linda Lamar
Finding Strength, Support, and Community Through LIVESTRONGⓇ at the YMCA
For Linda, the YMCA of Greater Michiana is more than a place to exercise. It’s a place that has helped her keep moving forward through one of the most difficult chapters of her life.
After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2023, Linda found herself facing not only the physical challenges of cancer, but also the emotional weight that often comes with it. Like many survivors, she discovered that cancer can change relationships and routines in unexpected ways. “When I started telling people, my best friends that I’d had for 50 years all disappeared,” she said. “I’ve heard that from so many cancer patients. People just don’t want to deal with it.”
Faced with that reality, Linda made a choice: She could stay home and give up, or she could keep going. That decision led her to LIVESTRONGⓇ at the YMCA. “It’s a fantastic program,” Linda said. “Something that cancer patients really need.”
The free 12-week program is designed to help adult cancer survivors regain strength, confidence, and connection through exercise and support. For Linda, it offered both encouragement and a reminder that she was still capable. “It gave me incentive to keep going,” she said. “I could see that I could still do it. I got my vibe back.”
She credits the program with helping her learn the equipment, build confidence, and stay active after treatment. But just as important as the physical benefits was the bond she formed with others who understood what she was going through. “Everybody in the LIVESTRONGⓇ program had cancer, so the bond was there right away,” she said. “That was really nice.”
Today, Linda remains a familiar face at the Y. She enjoys cardio drumming, enhanced fitness, treadmill time, and the friendships she has built along the way. She says coming to the Y gives her routine, social connection, and something to look forward to each day. “This is my home,” she said. “I look forward to coming here every day.”
Linda is quick with a joke, but behind her humor is a clear message for others facing cancer: don’t isolate yourself. “If you have cancer, just come here and sit if you have to,” she said. “Just get out and talk to people. It really helps.” She also believes exercise matters more than many people realize. “Exercising is the most important thing you can do as a cancer patient,” she said. “You don’t have to give up.”
For Linda, LIVESTRONGⓇ at the YMCA has been more than a program. It has been a source of support, momentum, and community at a time when all three mattered deeply. “It’s one of the best programs at the Y,” she said. “If anybody out there has cancer, they need to get in on it. It’s an excellent program.”
For more on the LIVESTRONGⓇ at the YMCA program or to get involved, visit https://www.ymcagm.org/LIVESTRONG-at-the-YMCA or follow the YMCA of Greater Michiana on social media.
