Cancer, the Gym and Me
At Kate Campbell Fitness, we often talk about strength, but strength can mean very different things depending on what someone is going through.
We support clients at many different stages of treatment and recovery. Sometimes that means preparing the body before an operation. Sometimes it means rebuilding strength afterwards. For others, it means continuing to exercise during treatment and adapting sessions around fatigue, recovery and how they are feeling that day.
This is a very special blog because it brings together two personal experiences.
Laurel shares what happened when a cancer diagnosis completely changed her relationship with exercise, and what working with Shannon has meant to her.
Shannon then shares her own experience of cancer and how that experience has shaped the trainer and therapist she is today.
These are their words and their stories, so I have left both completely unchanged.
Cancer, the Gym, and Me
By Laurel Smith
I’ve never really been that into exercising. At best, I’d say I’ve dabbled – with the gym, with yoga, with Pilates – but I wouldn’t, in a million years, have called myself a gym bunny! There was always something more important to do, I was always so busy, I was too tired, it was too hot, it was too cold. I always had a myriad of excuses to hand to justify to myself why working out wasn’t higher up my priority list.
All of that changed when I was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 45. My world, as I’d known it, was flipped on its head and I was left reeling with the physical, mental and emotional realities that a cancer diagnosis brings. After having surgery and adjuvant (preventative) chemotherapy, I had a few brief month’s respite before being told that my cancer had returned and was now stage IV. Cue another meltdown and 3 months of being in and out of hospital, culminating in yet more major surgery.
When I finally emerged from the trauma of those few months, I knew that I needed, finally, to put exercise and my physical health at the top of my priorities list. I had been advised by my oncologist that regular exercise was important, and I had read a few articles about recent research into physical exercise and cancer which suggested that the positive impact could be significant. I also understood that exercise would help with the fatigue and joint pain that I would likely be experiencing as I began my new treatment regime.
I knew that I needed some focused help to get me into a good routine, and so decided that having a personal trainer (PT) might be a good way in. But I also knew that my personal training journey would not be like most others: I was still recovering physically from the surgery, I would be exercising alongside receiving ongoing cancer treatment, and I knew my energy levels would probably be a bit up and down. In short, I needed someone to work with me who would listen to, understand, and adapt to these particular needs.
After a google search for PTs who had experience supporting people with cancer I got in touch with Kate Campbell Fitness Gym and arranged a free consultation call. From the minute I started speaking to Kate she put my mind at ease. I told her my story, and she listened, attentively and with unbelievable kindness. She immediately understood what I needed and explained that they had worked with a number of cancer patients and were able to tailor the personal training experience to support the particular challenges they knew I would be facing. Kate suggested that I work with Shannon, who had a great deal of experience in supporting others in my position, as well as being able to offer massage and Pilates options as part of the PT package.
I came away from that phone call already feeling stronger and more able to cope with what I was facing, and, honestly, I’ve never looked back. Shannon has been an absolutely incredible person to work with, and I genuinely look forward to seeing her in our weekly sessions. She has always been attentive to how I’m feeling each week – something that can vary depending on where I’m at with my treatment – and there have been a couple of occasions when we’ve opted for a gentle Pilates session instead of the strength training because I’ve been feeling so wiped out.
Shannon was also very conscious of my recovery from surgery in the early days and quickly took on board my concerns around my stoma and the possibility of hernias. She worked slowly and steadily with me to build my strength and my confidence in my body. I’ve gone from never having done any weight training at the gym to doing bench presses for the first time in my life – a major achievement! Each week I have felt myself progress in small achievable steps, each week I have walked out of the gym feeling stronger and more aligned with my body.
What has amazed me even more has been the mental shift I’ve experienced. From someone who you’d pretty much have to drag kicking and screaming to the gym, this summer I’ve become the kind of person who turns up to their PT session in 30-degree heat! And last winter, I became the kind of person who trudges through the snow to the car parked purposely on a flat road near my house just so that I can get to my PT session in the morning! Far from needing to come up with excuses not to go to the gym, I’m virtually chomping at the bit to get into the gym!
But I’ve also never appreciated before the impact that this regular exercise (which I support with walking my dog each day and now swimming too) can have on my mental health and well-being. As well as the physical strength and resilience that helps me cope with the side effects of my treatment, my sessions with Shannon have nourished me and supported me mentally and emotionally. The same strength and resilience help me to cope mentally with the side effects and demands of my treatment. The confidence and sense of achievement I feel help to bolster me emotionally against the challenges and dark days that living with cancer brings.
Being part of the wonderful community that Kate Campbell Fitness is brings joy and laughter and unapologetic grins. Being on my fitness journey with Shannon is a part of what I need to keep moving forward, to take each day as it comes.
I know this might all seem rather deep and effusive for a blog about a gym, but this isn’t really just about a gym. It’s about what happens when you are coping with a cancer diagnosis and left facing a life of living with cancer or the effects of cancer. It’s about what you can do, in the midst of having everything taken out of your control, to reclaim some control in your life. It’s about gathering to you the tools you will need to navigate these pathways, to hold on, to keep going.
I hope very much that you are not on your own cancer journey. But if you are, or if you are supporting someone who is, I would recommend giving Kate a call and taking that first step – you never know where it might take you!
If you or someone you love is experiencing living with cancer, you might want to check out Laurel’s Substack blog, ‘This Life With Cancer’. In it, she draws on her own experiences of attempting to ‘live well with cancer’ - whatever that means! – to offer her musings, wonderings, and reflections.
A few words from Shannon
Laurel, reading your story and seeing what our sessions have meant to you is incredibly special.
Watching you grow in strength and confidence, and seeing how much your relationship with exercise has changed, has been such a privilege. You turn up as you are, we work with what you have in the tank that day, and you keep moving forward.
Thank you for trusting me to be part of your journey. I am so proud of how far you have come, and I absolutely love our sessions together.
You bring your own light every single week.
Shannon x
SHANNON’S OWN EXPERIENCE
One of the things I love about my job is the different people you encounter, and that no two people or appointments are the same.
With my background in Sports Therapy, I am finding myself working with different demographics like postnatal mums, older adults, ice hockey players and clients on a Cancer journey.
I want to tell you a little about my own and my clients on Cancer journeys.
When I was studying for my qualifications and we started on the Cancer module, I never would have imagined the impact it could have on my life. We learned Cancer happens to 1 in 3 people, and sitting in that classroom, that was an accurate picture.
Fast forward a few years, and that statistic is now 1 in 2. At the time, I did not even entertain the idea that I could be part of that statistic. I just wanted to be able to help however I could.
That class ended up being one of my greatest comforts.
We learned that Cancer is no longer a death sentence to everyone who hears the word. Learning about different types, stages, and progressions armed me with a broad knowledge of terminology that would have been overwhelming hearing it for the first time as a patient.
I was able to regroup and take stock of what was being said more easily. Once I wrapped my head around what needed to be done, I just wanted to get on with it.
Honestly, it is probably harder on the loved ones. Is there any right way to respond to hearing someone say they have Cancer? I have experienced the devastation in people’s eyes when they have had a negative experience, and I saw resolve in others that this is a part of life, but you will get through this.
One of the hardest bits was when the Doctors first start throwing around the word Cancer and you have no idea how bad it is or what the treatment is, everything is a waiting game. You take solace in what you know, so being armed with the knowledge from my course, I had a nightlight in the dark.
Going through a Cancer journey myself, hearing my dad and my sister say “I have Cancer” has made me determined to be a better trainer. To offer kindness, understanding, and a holistic approach to sessions with clients with Cancer.
The exercise I did post-treatment and the support I received from people in my corner are what saw me through some dark times.
I feel stronger now than I did before diagnosis, and I want others to feel like they can have that too.
I want to be a night light in other people’s journeys.
Over the last few years, I have had clients with various cancer diagnoses, different treatments and different prognoses.
A few have been terminal. If I am honest, one of the hardest things is not knowing the outcome; you can only hope that what you had to offer someone before it got too bad was enough to bring a little bit of joy.
Working with clients that have Cancer has been rewarding and healing in its own right. It has forced me to reflect on my own experience in a unique way.
I have been inspired by the strength on display (physical and mental), motivated by the way they push forward each week, and committed to making the most of each session.
A metaphor I like to use is a fuel tank. Everyone has one. Some days that tank is full, and sometimes it is only half full.
When people walk through the door, I want them to give me 100% of what is in their tank. It is my job to recognise how much fuel is in their tank and give them sessions that match what they have to give.
Sometimes after a treatment, when the tank is at 50%, we do some movement therapy (Pilates/stretching/massage). Other days it is nice to feel strong and it is recognising that at that time they can be pushed, not to a standard of an average client but to their standards.
My unique experiences have allowed me to be able to read most people. I find so much joy in helping people realise they can have a semblance of control of their own bodies again, whether it be feeling strong enough to kick some ass, moving in the midst of fatigue during treatment, or listening to the body’s need to rest through massage.
Learning to adapt to a client’s needs has made me a better therapist. Listening to a client’s stories and experiences has offered me healing in regard to my own journey. Being able to share my own journey has allowed me to connect with clients in a way where I hope I can provide empowerment. I am determined to be a positive experience for people dealing with Cancer.
My clients are brilliant, and each one has brought their light to the path; no matter if it’s a flicker or burning brightly, everyone has light to give, and together we can light the way for others to come.
Shannon x
We'd love to share another part of Laurel’s story.
Laurel writes openly about living with cancer through her Substack, This Life With Cancer.
Her writing is honest, thoughtful and very much about what it actually means to try to live well with cancer, with all the uncertainty, difficult days, humour and life that comes with it.
You can read Laurel’s writing here:
This Life With Cancer
@thislifewithcancer
https://thislifewithcancer.substack.com/
BOOK LAUNCH EVENT FRAGMENTS OF LIGHT: WRITING THROUGH CANCER
In 2026, a group of women living with Cancer took part in a series of writing workshops led by local author Beverley Ward, funded by Weston Park Cancer Charity.
Laurel is part of the group that has now brought their experiences together in Fragments of Light, a collection of poems, stories and personal reflections.
They will be sharing some of their writing at a special launch event, with all funds from ticket and book sales supporting Weston Park Cancer Charity
The event has already had such a lovely response that it has been moved to a larger venue.
Both Shannon and I will be there to support Laurel, and we would love to see some familiar KCF faces there too.
Thursday 15 October 2026
6 pm to 8 pm
Sheffield Centre Unitarian Church
Upper Chapel
Norfolk Street
Sheffield City Centre
A FINAL WORD FROM ME
There are some parts of running Kate Campbell Fitness that go far beyond sets, reps, weight loss or what somebody can lift.
Being trusted to support someone when life has changed completely is one of them.
I am incredibly proud of Laurel and Shannon, and I want to thank them both for being so open and sharing their stories.
You guys are Amazing
I also want to acknowledge the other members we have supported through cancer diagnosis, treatment, surgery and recovery. Every journey is different, and being allowed to play even a small part in someone’s care means more to us than you probably realise.
Sometimes our job is to help you get stronger.
Sometimes it is simply to help you keep moving forward.
Quite often, it is both.
Kate x