Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, is a lifelong equestrian. Following surgery for a soft-tissue cancer, she had to take a break from horse riding whilst recovering, and thanks to several other factors, her time away from the saddle was longer than expected. She resolved to make 2024 the year she got back to her first …
Tag archives: cancer
Cancer survivor’s guilt: how to handle it
At a Christmas party, I had a conversation about cancer survivor’s guilt. I know, festive. I was sat next to someone who’s been through cancer treatment, we already knew this about each other. And among the buzz of a raucous party, we had a quiet and important chat. This person had recently struggled with their …
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How to find a cancer exercise specialist
Something that still tends to not be discussed when you receive a cancer diagnosis is exercise. Fortunately, there’s an increasing amount of help at hand in the community. Here, cancer exercise specialist, Becky, who’s based in Horsham, West Sussex, shares information on how to find support on your cancer journey… When I was diagnosed with …
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: allyship over slactivism
October has snuck up on me, and that’s a privilege. In the UK, this is when Breast Cancer Awareness Month takes place annually, and the backlash has steadily built year on year. However, big brands often still aren’t paying attention to this fact (top tip: when something like this happens, it’s because money is being …
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Strength in the Face of Adversity: How Fitness Empowered My Recovery from a Desmoid Tumor
In 2018, my life took an unexpected turn when I was diagnosed with a Desmoid tumour – as September is Desmoid Tumor Awareness Month, it feels like the right time to discuss this issue. For those unfamiliar with the term, a Desmoid tumour, also known as aggressive fibromatosis, is a rare type of cancer, forming …
Two years as a cancer exercise specialist: what I’ve learned
It seems surreal that it’s two years since I spent many hours on Zoom, lots more reading, and several panicking about exams and assessments. Receiving my cancer exercise specialist certification was the realisation of a goal set only a year previously, with no personal training expertise to my name. So I think a bit of …
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Book review: Under the Knife
This book is particularly special to me, because I’m proud to say that I supported it in a literal sense. Having struggled to find interest from traditional publishers, Liz chose to use Unbound (which, by the way, I highly recommend checking out – it’s crowdfunding for books; I’ve now supported two others via the platform …
Living through a scare: the cancer survivor nightmare of possible recurrence
I survived a benign and aggressive sarcoma. I had a Desmoid tumour (and a LOT of muscle) surgically removed in October 2018, and whilst I didn’t require further treatment, my medical team continued to monitor me until November 2021. “I can do nothing more for you,” my surgeon said that day. “If you are ever …
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Medical advocacy: a beginner’s guide to the language of medicine
I’ve always considered myself fortunate that languages come naturally to me. I studied French and German at school, and although I’m by no means fluent, the knowledge I gained over 20 years ago (eek!) works solidly with some practice. That, in turn, has allowed me to pick up some Spanish and Italian in the last …
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