SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - A large community movement has rapidly evolved out of efforts from a small group of fitness class attendees in Santa Maria.
Central Coast fitness trainer Mary Bigelow is known for the spin class she teaches at the Santa Maria YMCA.
Just months ago, she was diagnosed with cancer.
Now people in her spin class have organized the Movement For Mary 5K event.
"We basically have a board now of people putting this together," says Christina Landeros, Movement For Mary 5K organizer. "But what I will say is supporting and loving Mary Bigelow is the easiest part of my day."
Bigelow has worked as a fitness trainer on the Central Coast for more than 20 years.
"Mary was just automatically like, so magnetic," says Sawyer Coffey, a spin class attendee from Santa Maria. "And she just shone so bright as a person. It just felt so empowering to do with Mary. She had little inspirational moments where she would tell us, you know, something motivational to keep us going."
Her roles have included spin instructor, strength trainer, CrossFit coach, personal trainer and nutrition coach.
She is married, a mother of three and a grandmother to a baby girl, Nora.
"She's right there alongside us doing stuff with us," says Lauren Black, another spin class attendee from Santa Maria. "I think when she says, ‘show up for yourself,’ to give yourself grace. And think about your why. A lot of the times when she's up there in spin, she'll say, ‘Who are you showing up for? Let this be your time'."
Bigelow had to visit the ER in April for an unrelated issue that led to an emergency surgery where they discovered a tumor on her pancreas.
Her doctors say the cancer was found early and is still at an operable stage.
"I think when she got the news, it shook all of us to just be more present to something she always says during all her classes is, ‘You get to do this, you don't have to'," says Tara Van Fleet, a spin class attendee from Orcutt. "And I think that just kind of, like hit a lot harder."
Following the diagnosis, Bigelow connected with a specialist at Stanford and immediately began chemotherapy to prepare for surgery.
"So we wanted to give back to her as much as she has done for us and show up for her in a way," says Black.
Bigelow's medical plan includes ongoing treatments, frequent trips to Stanford, major surgery, recovery and additional chemotherapy.
The 5k walk and run event was organized to help ease the financial demands of her medical treatment and recovery for her and her family.
"It is so easy to get people on board when I mention her name," says Landeros. "I just have to mention who she is and that this is for her and what she's going through. And people just… ‘I’m in, I'm in, I'm in'."
The event will include food vendors, bounce houses, even a raffle contest.
"Mary is used to being a woman who pours out love to others," says Landeros. "And so having all of this attention and having everyone pouring into her is definitely something that feels super foreign to her. But she deserves it. So we're just forcing it on her at this point. So, you know, she just has to deal with all of our love."
The Movement For Mary 5K is scheduled for Sunday October 4th here at Waller Park with the start and finish line just in front of the Santa Maria Valley YMCA.
Raffle donations are being accepted until a couple days prior, but signing up to participate is open until the day of the event.
To sign up or find out how to make any kind of donation, start by clicking here to visit the Movement For Mary 5K Instagram page.
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Community Organizes To Help Beloved Santa Maria Fitness Instructor’s Cancer Diagnosis With Upcoming ‘Movement For Mary’ 5k Event News Channel 3-12.
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