Pat Marcha inspires cancer patients with Zumba, celebrating five years cancer-free and becoming an instructor at 72.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One Corpus Christi woman is inspiring cancer patients to find strength through movement with Zumba. 

RELATED: Dance Into Wellness: Free Zumba Classes in Corpus Christi

Behind every beat, there’s a story and today’s pink party Zumba wasn’t just about fitness—it’s was about fighting together. 

The room is full of music, feet are moving, and the energy is rising. But what you can’t see is the fight behind every step. 

“Zumba is maybe an hour but that one hour that you’re there you’re, you’re dancing, you’re moving, so all this time it’s helped me that you know God has given me the strength and the ability to still keep on moving,” Pat Marcha.

For 14 years, Pat Marcha has danced Zumba but she recently overcame a big challenge

“I told my family and I told him, look, this is OK we’re gonna get through this and we’re gonna do whatever it is that it’s gonna take. So sure enough this past Thursday I went and saw a doctor, my oncologist and he said, ‘OK, Miss Pat, whatever you’re doing, you keep on doing it because that’s it, you’re done.’ It’s been 5 years and now it’s cancer free,” Marcha said

Melissa Escamilla still in the fight against an aggressive Cancer with a high reoccurrences, but said Zumba has helped her through her treatments.

” I also added Zumba to my treatment because when I was really low Zumba brought me up, just the joy of dancing and the love of dancing to salsa, merengue, and reggae reggaetons, it just, it just brought joy to my heart during my battle. My daughter told me, Mom, you have to embrace the moment, and I was like, OK, so I did, I did absolutely that. I embraced the moment with grace and resilience.I did not let cancer break me. If anything, it’s made me so much stronger,” Escamilla said.

According to the Texas Health and Human Services, Breast Cancer is the most common Cancer among women in Texas and it’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women across the state.

Dr. Mary Joy Hyde said having an active lifestyle can make an impact in cancer patients. 

“The stress of surgical treatment of breast cancer, chemotherapy, just the mental stress, the body stress, exercise can certainly help mitigate that stress and keep your mobility. Help your mind, help your body, keep it moving,” Dr. Hyde said.

At 72, Pat’s not just surviving—she’s leading the way as an instructor. 

“They’re my granddaughter’s an instructor in San Antonio, and my daughter here in Corpus and here at Freedom, and you know, they said, Mom, why, maybe someday, I said. Look, I love to dance. That’s what I like to do. I’m, I’m good with just going out there and dancing with you guys. So when the opportunity came I think it was like two or three weeks ago that they were gonna do an instructor class here. My daughter  Laura, she says, Mom. Keep your Saturday open and I had no clue why so sure enough she signed me up and I said hey why not here I am.,” Pat said.

But for Pat and Melissa, this isn’t just a dance floor, it’s a place to survive. And for everyone else, it’s a reminder-hope has a rhythm.