61-Year-Old Breast Cancer Survivor Finds Strength in Fitness Training

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – 61-year-old Kay Powell wasn’t always into fitness; in fact, she’d never really worked out until after a hard-fought battle with breast cancer.

“I just feel so much stronger,” Kay tells 41NBC.

In 2000, Kay discovered a lump; just days later, she was on the operating table and fighting for her life. The medications she took made her gain weight, and she felt she didn’t have control of her own body anymore. “I felt like I would diet while I was on the medication and never see any results,” she says.

She eventually beat the disease, but that wasn’t the end of her journey. She decided she needed to get fit–so she joined The Pink Physique in Macon–an all-women’s gym that’s a big supporter of breast cancer research. Owner Alli Kerr says preventing the disease starts with you.

“At least 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous exercise is gonna significantly decrease their risk,” Kerr says. So Kay accepted the challenge; three years later she’s lost 20 lbs., and she keeps herself cancer-free by staying on top her her fitness.

She challenged 41NBC’s Andrew Reeser to go up against her doing her favorite workouts (she’s very competitive, an important quality for those who’ve struggled with breast cancer).