Client journey: cancer treatment to fundraising

Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, is a cancer exercise specialist, working with those who are recovering from cancer treatment. Today, she shares the journey of a client who’s now fundraising for Sarcoma UK.

I’m delighted to be able to shine the spotlight on one of my clients this week. It’s something I’ve thought about carefully, and the time feels right. Before I tell you about Graeme and what he’s going to do, I’m going to share my reasons behind not doing this sooner.

Personal training and client relationships
My attitude towards my clients has always been quite protective. In the digital age, with our lives lived very much online, each industry has developed a typical way of representing itself. For fitness, this has often meant showing “transformation” photos, or images and clips from classes and sessions. Stories are often framed around progress or accomplishments, and that goes against my ethos in a manner of speaking.

I have always maintained that a client’s journey is their own to determine. It’s not for me to set a goal or target, I give my clients free rein to state what they want out of their sessions. I’ve never prepared a client for a photo shoot or stage show, and this is the first time I’ve worked with someone who has a specific physical challenge in mind.

The other part of my reasoning for not generally sharing images of clients is that the majority of people I’ve worked with prefer not to share themselves in that way – a choice I completely support. I’m not here to pressure anyone to share. I do ask for Google reviews, and if I receive a positive message from a client, I ask permission to anonymise it and share.

Why sharing client journeys is something I find challenging
Ultimately, I want to maintain the accurate impression that I’m not here to choose your path for you. Participating in an event is far from a prerequisite to training with me, nor is training independently of our sessions. I support my clients to go about things in the way that suits them, and I hope that everyone appreciates this.

I encourage all of my clients to be proud of themselves for what they do, whether that’s starting exercise afresh, returning having had time out, or continuing a habit they have maintained for a longer period. All accomplishments are worthy, and achievements don’t necessarily involve a medal or a finish line.

Now, without further ado…

Meet Graeme
Graeme first came to me in October 2023, and shared his experience of having had surgery to successfully remove a sarcoma. He was struggling to recover his fitness level and had lost a lot of confidence. He’d pretty much decided to sell his beloved road bike until I firmly told him not to contemplate it further – I asked him to give me a year…

Less than six months later, Graeme was back on his bike for a short ride which left him elated. A few months later, I somehow held back tears as he arrived at the gym on said bike for a PT session, cycling from home.

Having got back on his bike, Graeme came up with a new idea: he wants to hike Snowdon (now known as Yr Wyddfa).

This is a challenge for anyone, but for someone who has experienced discomfort when walking, it’s no mean feat. Graeme’s training to hike with family and friends, and he’s also fundraising for Sarcoma UK in the process.

He’s agreed that I can share his page, to help generate awareness of the rare subtype of tumours that he and I have both survived, plus his efforts. If you are able to donate, please do, and please also consider sharing this story to others who can help spread the word.

The date is set – Graeme is planning to hike in July 2025, and he’s training hard. I’ll be cheering every step of the way, and hopefully will update you on his successful effort!