150 women honored in Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade [Video]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Kentucky Derby is so much more than just the big race. The build-up is an event in itself.

On Friday, Oaks Day has been the lead-in for the Derby since it started 150 years ago and has carved out its own special meaning in recent years. The relatively new tradition on Friday is the Oaks Survivors Parade.

It was the 16th annual celebration of those who have won their fight against cancer, and it led to some powerful emotions as they were finishing a different race.

The joint strides of survivors experiencing the full spectrum of emotions like Tracy Phillips.

“I was born and raised in Campbellsville, and I have lived here my whole life,” she said. “We all enjoy going to the lake in summer. We’re just normal people.”

But in 2021, Tracy’s everyday life was taken away, disrupted by a diagnosis no …