Learning to Trust Her Body Again: Sharon’s Story
As part of CFIT’s Breast Cancer Awareness campaign, Sharon shares how she went from feeling frightened and weak to lifting weights, playing with her grandchildren and enjoying a life she once struggled to imagine.
Sharon is a wife, mum of two and granny to three beautiful grandchildren, with another on the way. She has worked as a secretary at the local primary school for 25 years. To put that into perspective, I was in P5 when she started there! Long before Sharon came to CFIT, she had spent much of her adult life being careful with her body.
Following spinal surgery at 19, she had been warned not to lift anything heavy. That included her children as they grew older. For years, she tried to protect her back. Lower back pain was a familiar part of life, and heat packs went everywhere with her. Walking and occasional Pilates classes were her main forms of exercise. Lifting weights wasn’t something she imagined herself doing.
Missing the freedom of everyday life
Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2021 and had a mastectomy that July. It was during Covid, which brought another layer of fear and isolation. Before surgery, she spent long periods at home, worried that catching the virus could delay her operation.
She missed talking to people on her walks. She missed the sea. She missed the freedom of heading around the beach whenever she wanted. After surgery, she returned to walking, but it was difficult. It took almost two weeks before she could walk roughly 100 yards to the end of her street on her own. She remembers feeling exhausted, upset and frightened that life might stay that way.
With perseverance, her walking distance and speed gradually improved. But when she returned to work, she realised she still didn’t feel as strong as she had hoped. Aches and pains brought fears about the cancer returning. She knew she needed support, but didn’t know where to start.
A conversation with her family led her to get in touch with me.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Sharon was terrified before her first session.
The only gym equipment she had previously used was a treadmill. Walking into CFIT felt like stepping into a completely unfamiliar world.
“I thought to myself, what on earth are you doing?”
She drove the short distance to the gym because she wasn’t sure whether she would be able to walk home afterwards. But she came. Despite the nerves and uncertainty, she knew she wanted help and guidance to begin again. That first appointment became the start of something she hadn’t expected: looking forward to exercise.
Every step was progress
For Sharon, progress meant showing up each week, feeling stronger and becoming curious about what she might achieve next.
“To me every step of the way was progress.”
Her confidence grew alongside her strength. One milestone was swinging a 16kg kettlebell, something she had never imagined herself doing, let alone completing 100 swings during a session in a back garden.
She felt strong. She felt mobile. And she felt proud that she had taken a chance on doing something for herself. Completing her initial 12 weeks of personal training was a huge achievement. Photographs helped her see the changes, while the sessions helped her believe in her own ability.
That belief stayed with her. She now attends CFIT Pilates and trains at her local gym twice a week. Recently, she lifted 95kg with a trap bar.
“Never in my wildest dreams was that ever happening.”
Strength she can use every day
The gym milestones are wonderful. But the changes Sharon describes at home are what bring her story to life. She can play properly with her grandchildren. Lift them up. Enjoy having the energy to join in. At work, she no longer automatically avoids lifting boxes out of fear.
“The CFIT Gym and Catherine lit a spark in me that I never knew existed.”
Training gave her the confidence to challenge herself and the knowledge to keep going independently. For someone who had spent decades worrying about lifting, that is a profound change. When asked what movement means to her now, Sharon said:
“It allows me to live a life I didn’t think was possible.”
A message to the woman who feels afraid
Sharon remembers the fear of sitting in the consultant’s office and hearing her diagnosis. Her children were getting married. Her first grandchild was on the way. There was so much life she wanted to be part of. Five years later, she describes feeling better than she has for much of her adult life.
She is also clear that everyone’s experience is different. She doesn’t pretend there is one message that makes a diagnosis easier. But for someone considering a return to movement, she offers this:
“Don’t be afraid to try something new.”
And, just as importantly: “Go with someone you trust.”
Every recovery is individual. Decisions about returning to exercise should be made with your treatment team, taking your health and circumstances into account. Sharon’s story is a reminder of what opening that first door can lead to. For her, it led to greater confidence, continued training and more freedom to enjoy everyday life with the people she loves.
Sharon, watching you learn to trust yourself, build your strength and keep going independently has been a privilege. Thank you for taking that first step and for sharing what it has meant to you.
Catherine — CFIT, Stronger for Life.
Read the other story in this campaign: From Feeling Fragile to Finding Her Strength — Marion’s Story.