By Juliano Oliveira
In 2011, Imelda Thomas Bacon was diagnosed with treatable but incurable metastatic breast cancer.
After seven months of targeted therapy, she is in remission – when there is no evidence of cancer that can be detected by a PET scan or by a blood test.
“At the moment, I’m fine. And I can do my exercise, and I’ve been having a good quality of life,” Ms Bacon says.
The mentioned exercise comes from a 10-week free fitness and strength program that swiftly empowers and improves cancer survivors’ lives at Warwick’s YMCA.
Strategically designed for those who have recently become de-conditioned or chronically fatigued from their treatment and or disease, the program has been the stage of Ms Bacon’s evolution since 2016.
“I was very weak. My stability wasn’t very good, and my stretch was terrible. So, it’s made me realise that it is something that I can control, I can do the exercise, and I can make my body stronger, which is what I’ve been doing,” she says.
“I suppose it makes you, when you have to go on medications for your cancer, stronger to, you know, get by with those things. I think it also gives you a good headspace, so you’re not thinking about your cancer all the time.”
As Ms Bacon, all participants receive a free ten-week membership to access the entire YMCA facility, plus four weekly group training sessions with one personal trainer.
Additional goals include reducing the severity of therapy side effects, preventing unwanted weight changes, and improving energy levels and self-esteem. All participants do testing at the start of the program and in the final week of the program.
YMCA’s Assistant Manager of Fitness, De Kelly, says that anyone living with or beyond cancer can participate in the program. This time with the possibility of bringing a friend free for support throughout the ten weeks.
“We have approximately 40 participants in our program – with roughly 12-15 participants per session,” De Kelly says.
“This program is our community’s only free cancer program. It builds a system of support for survivors that they haven’t consistently had. A welcoming and supportive environment ensures our survivors are comfortable and confident while participating in activities they may have never before. The participants find safety in a group of like-minded survivors.”
