VALRICO, Fla. — A weekend of tennis requires a lot of stamina.

The Florida heat can take a lot out of a player. The countless matches in the sun can drain every ounce of energy.

Players just have to fight on — like June Rogers did.

What You Need To Know

  • The second annual June Rogers Memorial Tennis Tournament raised money and awareness for colon cancer

  • June lost her battle to colon cancer at the age of 57

  • Tournament participant Denise Maqueira is battling bone cancer and fighting just like June did

June Rogers loved tennis, she loved to fight and she fought the good fight before cancer took her from this earth at the age of 57.

That’s why her friends and family honor her with a tournament every year.

Denise Maqueira is one of the many players who participated in this year’s event.

Denise can relate to June — she loves tennis too.

“I’d much rather do this than go to the gym or go jog or do anything else,” Denise said. “It’s just fun and it’s social.”

Denise shares something else with the namesake of the tournament she’s playing in.

She’s fighting the good fight against cancer. Her diagnosis: incurable, Stage 4 metastatic bone cancer.

What started as breast cancer has come back a third time and this time, attacked her bones.

You wouldn’t know it by watching her on the tennis court, except for a slight drop in her competitive nature.

“I don’t have the steam that I used to have, you know, with the drugs and stuff that I’m on,” she said. “But I feel good and I like being out here and this is what keeps me happy.”

She’s got a great team at Moffitt Cancer Center looking out for her. She believes in miracles.

“I’m going to stay positive because I want to be happy,” Denise said. “Whatever time I’ve got left, I want to be happy.”

The second annual June Rogers Foundation’s Tennis Tournament shined a spotlight on a worthy cause, colon cancer awareness — the cancer that ultimately defeated June.

She fought a courageous battle and continued to play tennis, even during her intense treatments. She played in more than 150 matches in the final year of her life.

“Last thing that she really said to us was she didn’t want to give up and she also wanted to make sure that other people didn’t have to give up,” board member Allison Townsend said. ”We’re honoring her with this fight today and all of us here are here to fight like June.”

Denise is fighting like June. So much, the foundation honored her with an award, recognizing that fight. And just like June, Denise is battling cancer while keeping her wicked sense of humor.

“All you gotta be doing is dying and they’ll give it to ya,” Denise said. “You gotta laugh about it, baby.”