Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova.Photo:Dimitrios Kambouris/GettyJulia Lemigovais opening up about supporting her wifeMartina Navratilovathrough her cancer treatments.TheReal Housewives of Miamistar, 51, reflected her wife’s difficult cancer journey at theBravoCon’s Housewife2Housewife: The New Wave of Wives panel on Saturday.“I faced the most difficult year of my life this year because Martina was fighting two cancers at the same time. Now she’s cancer free,” she said. “So after having this fear, and like punching the fear in the face, we have cancer knocking on our door once or twice this year, and seeing Martina fight like, I admire her so much.““She inspired me like if she could beat cancer, l I could punch the fear out of my heart and just be who I want to be loud and proud,” she added.Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova.Clive Brunskill/GettyLater in the conversation, the Bravo star admitted it was “double hard” to see both her wife and herRHOMcostarGuerdy Abrairabeing diagnosed with cancer in the same year. Abraira, 45,revealed she had breast cancerin May.“As a caretaker, you don’t know in the beginning what to expect and what to do,” Lemigova said. “But then you listen to your heart and try to see what your loved one needs the most. So I listened to Martina I was there for her all the time…I didn’t take anything personally because you have to come with them as number one and then you forget yourself but it’s out of love.““It was so hard. And Martina and Julia, we had lunch. Martina gave me advice,” Abraira added as she broke down in tears. “She goes, ‘Be selfish,’ and I was like that was hardest thing for me to do is be selfish. And I was and that’s what put me here today to be healthier.“For more of PEOPLE’s BravoCon coverage,click here.PEOPLE confirmed in January that Navratilova, 67, was diagnosed withthroat and breast cancerat the end of 2022. She had first been diagnosed with breast cancer anddeclared cancer-freein 2010.Lemigovapreviously spoke to PEOPLEin early March about how her wife’s cancer diagnosis had shifted her attitude and outlook on life.“After your wife is diagnosed with two cancers, it really changes your perspective,” the reality star said. “We all have to be strong for her. There is no time for sitting around and crying.“I’m a strong believer that when life hits you with a tragedy, no matter how big the tragedy is, you have basically two choice: You submit or you push back and rebel,” she explained. “And all my life I was, I’m a rebel in a way, and I always push back. So this is just one of those huge tragedies that hit our family. And there is no time or space to sit and cry because that will not help. That will only make things worse.“Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova.Charles Sykes/BravoNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.A few weeks later, Navratilovaannounced that she was cancer-free. In a separate interview conducted a couple days after the news broke, Lemigovagushed to PEOPLE about how she was “so proud”of her wife for surviving her cancer diagnoses.“I don’t even have the words to say how proud I am of my champion for playing singles against the nastiest double partners she ever faced in her life, and beating them both triumphantly. She amazes me every day,” Lemigova said.“I have no idea what the future shows, really don’t. I’m just happy to be healthy. I’m happy that Martina is healthy,” she added. “Just thanking life for giving us good news, and that we have each other.“Aftertying the knot back in 2014, Lemigova and Navratilova became the first same-sex couple to ever appear as full-time cast members on theReal Housewivesfranchise since it launched on Bravo in 2006.

Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova.Photo:Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Julia Lemigova (L) and Martina Navratilova attend Netflix’s “The Politician” Season One Premiere at DGA Theater on September 26, 2019

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Julia Lemigovais opening up about supporting her wifeMartina Navratilovathrough her cancer treatments.TheReal Housewives of Miamistar, 51, reflected her wife’s difficult cancer journey at theBravoCon’s Housewife2Housewife: The New Wave of Wives panel on Saturday.“I faced the most difficult year of my life this year because Martina was fighting two cancers at the same time. Now she’s cancer free,” she said. “So after having this fear, and like punching the fear in the face, we have cancer knocking on our door once or twice this year, and seeing Martina fight like, I admire her so much.““She inspired me like if she could beat cancer, l I could punch the fear out of my heart and just be who I want to be loud and proud,” she added.Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova.Clive Brunskill/GettyLater in the conversation, the Bravo star admitted it was “double hard” to see both her wife and herRHOMcostarGuerdy Abrairabeing diagnosed with cancer in the same year. Abraira, 45,revealed she had breast cancerin May.“As a caretaker, you don’t know in the beginning what to expect and what to do,” Lemigova said. “But then you listen to your heart and try to see what your loved one needs the most. So I listened to Martina I was there for her all the time…I didn’t take anything personally because you have to come with them as number one and then you forget yourself but it’s out of love.““It was so hard. And Martina and Julia, we had lunch. Martina gave me advice,” Abraira added as she broke down in tears. “She goes, ‘Be selfish,’ and I was like that was hardest thing for me to do is be selfish. And I was and that’s what put me here today to be healthier.“For more of PEOPLE’s BravoCon coverage,click here.PEOPLE confirmed in January that Navratilova, 67, was diagnosed withthroat and breast cancerat the end of 2022. She had first been diagnosed with breast cancer anddeclared cancer-freein 2010.Lemigovapreviously spoke to PEOPLEin early March about how her wife’s cancer diagnosis had shifted her attitude and outlook on life.“After your wife is diagnosed with two cancers, it really changes your perspective,” the reality star said. “We all have to be strong for her. There is no time for sitting around and crying.“I’m a strong believer that when life hits you with a tragedy, no matter how big the tragedy is, you have basically two choice: You submit or you push back and rebel,” she explained. “And all my life I was, I’m a rebel in a way, and I always push back. So this is just one of those huge tragedies that hit our family. And there is no time or space to sit and cry because that will not help. That will only make things worse.“Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova.Charles Sykes/BravoNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.A few weeks later, Navratilovaannounced that she was cancer-free. In a separate interview conducted a couple days after the news broke, Lemigovagushed to PEOPLE about how she was “so proud”of her wife for surviving her cancer diagnoses.“I don’t even have the words to say how proud I am of my champion for playing singles against the nastiest double partners she ever faced in her life, and beating them both triumphantly. She amazes me every day,” Lemigova said.“I have no idea what the future shows, really don’t. I’m just happy to be healthy. I’m happy that Martina is healthy,” she added. “Just thanking life for giving us good news, and that we have each other.“Aftertying the knot back in 2014, Lemigova and Navratilova became the first same-sex couple to ever appear as full-time cast members on theReal Housewivesfranchise since it launched on Bravo in 2006.

Julia Lemigovais opening up about supporting her wifeMartina Navratilovathrough her cancer treatments.

TheReal Housewives of Miamistar, 51, reflected her wife’s difficult cancer journey at theBravoCon’s Housewife2Housewife: The New Wave of Wives panel on Saturday.

“I faced the most difficult year of my life this year because Martina was fighting two cancers at the same time. Now she’s cancer free,” she said. “So after having this fear, and like punching the fear in the face, we have cancer knocking on our door once or twice this year, and seeing Martina fight like, I admire her so much.”

“She inspired me like if she could beat cancer, l I could punch the fear out of my heart and just be who I want to be loud and proud,” she added.

Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova.Clive Brunskill/Getty

Former Women’s Singles Champion, Martina Navratilova (R) and her wife Julia Lemigova (L) take a selfie in the Royal Box ahead of the Women’s Singles Final between Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic and Ons Jabeur of Tunisia on day thirteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2023

Clive Brunskill/Getty

Later in the conversation, the Bravo star admitted it was “double hard” to see both her wife and herRHOMcostarGuerdy Abrairabeing diagnosed with cancer in the same year. Abraira, 45,revealed she had breast cancerin May.

“As a caretaker, you don’t know in the beginning what to expect and what to do,” Lemigova said. “But then you listen to your heart and try to see what your loved one needs the most. So I listened to Martina I was there for her all the time…I didn’t take anything personally because you have to come with them as number one and then you forget yourself but it’s out of love.”

“It was so hard. And Martina and Julia, we had lunch. Martina gave me advice,” Abraira added as she broke down in tears. “She goes, ‘Be selfish,’ and I was like that was hardest thing for me to do is be selfish. And I was and that’s what put me here today to be healthier.”

For more of PEOPLE’s BravoCon coverage,click here.

PEOPLE confirmed in January that Navratilova, 67, was diagnosed withthroat and breast cancerat the end of 2022. She had first been diagnosed with breast cancer anddeclared cancer-freein 2010.

Lemigovapreviously spoke to PEOPLEin early March about how her wife’s cancer diagnosis had shifted her attitude and outlook on life.

“After your wife is diagnosed with two cancers, it really changes your perspective,” the reality star said. “We all have to be strong for her. There is no time for sitting around and crying.

“I’m a strong believer that when life hits you with a tragedy, no matter how big the tragedy is, you have basically two choice: You submit or you push back and rebel,” she explained. “And all my life I was, I’m a rebel in a way, and I always push back. So this is just one of those huge tragedies that hit our family. And there is no time or space to sit and cry because that will not help. That will only make things worse.”

Julia Lemigova and Martina Navratilova.Charles Sykes/Bravo

WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE WITH ANDY COHEN – Episode 19036 – Pictured: (l-r) Julia Lemigova, Martina Navratilova

Charles Sykes/Bravo

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

A few weeks later, Navratilovaannounced that she was cancer-free. In a separate interview conducted a couple days after the news broke, Lemigovagushed to PEOPLE about how she was “so proud”of her wife for surviving her cancer diagnoses.“I don’t even have the words to say how proud I am of my champion for playing singles against the nastiest double partners she ever faced in her life, and beating them both triumphantly. She amazes me every day,” Lemigova said.

“I have no idea what the future shows, really don’t. I’m just happy to be healthy. I’m happy that Martina is healthy,” she added. “Just thanking life for giving us good news, and that we have each other.”

Aftertying the knot back in 2014, Lemigova and Navratilova became the first same-sex couple to ever appear as full-time cast members on theReal Housewivesfranchise since it launched on Bravo in 2006.

source: people.com