Former Eagle returns for Queen City Race, honoring his mom's strength in breast cancer fight
It's been over two decades since Kino Mosley last made a round on the Meridian Community College Track.
"I wouldn't miss this for anything," Kino said, standing alongside nearly 100 others ready to run or walk in the College's Queen City Race for Life and Street Strut for Breast Cancer, held at MCC's track.
The annual event honors breast cancer survivors and current breast survivors, raises awareness, and gains funds for the Baptist Cancer Center-Anderson Patient Benevolence Fund. The event also spotlighted the community residents serving as this year's ambassadors and caregiver ambassadors: Pam Mosley, Taymecca Sears, and Tom Bradshaw.
Pam, Kino's mom, was one of the honorees. "Yeah, that's the rock of the family right there," he said, nodding toward her.
Kino came to MCC in 1998 as a part of the Eagle Track Team. "This used to be green, and the long jump pit used to be right here," he said, looking over the track and field area. "A lot of fond memories here." He also recalled being sidelined because of a broken knee, but he did compete at the Region 23 meet and qualified for nationals. After MCC, he went to the University of Mississippi for track and earned his degree in exercise science. Today, he's in business for himself.
"Track runs in my family," he said, identifying that his dad, sister, son, and daughter have logged thousands of miles in the sport.
Mom Pam, too, ran track.
Kino said he never knew strength until he witnessed it in his mom's breast cancer journey. He remembered when his dad called in the family for Pam to tell her loved ones she was diagnosed with the disease. "Man, I cried. I was so sad," he said when learning of her diagnosis.
But the next morning, his mom woke him up, kissed him on the cheek, and was dressed in her scrubs – ready to go to work as an MRI tech. When he asked her what she was doing, she said, "Life doesn't stop, man. I've got to go to work."
At that moment, he discovered: "That's a different strength that I ever experienced."
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu/streetstrut.