LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The 2022 Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade returned to Churchill Downs Friday. This time, in person. 

What You Need To Know

  • Oaks Day Survivors Parade happened in person for the first time in two years

  • 146 breast and ovarian cancer survivors marched

  • The crowd of more than 100,000 cheered them on

The coronavirus pandemic canceled the event in 2020 and organizers held it virtually in 2021. Thousands cheered 146 breast and ovarian cancer survivors in between races on the day dedicated to the fillies.

“I was diagnosed in 2000,” said Tania Bigosinski, who battled breast cancer. “I had to do chemo, had to do double mastectomy and then I found out I was BRCA 2 positive, so then I had to get a hysterectomy.”

She’s 56 now. 

“It was the really not great gift that kept on giving,” Bigosinski said. 

But that news came to her at 34.

“I was trying to start a family when I was diagnosed and that was put on hold and then after the diagnosis, it was probably, I needed to adopt,” Bigosinki said. 

Despite the challenges, the Lexington resident adopted two children persevering through her cancer.

“It was aggressive. It was Stage 3 Basal Carcinoma and so it’s pretty amazing that I’m here and to be able to celebrate this. The odds were not good,” Bigosinski said. 

Beating the odds, she marched with other survivors on Friday at the 14th Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade.

“Because of COVID, we weren’t able to walk until this year so it’s been a lot of anticipation and we’re so excited,” Bigosinski said.

This year, Churchill Downs partnered with the Breast Health Program at Norton Cancer Institute and Horses and Hope.

Over 100,000 people attended Oaks Day. 

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