Patient perspective blog: Myth busted – I cannot do a fitness competition, I’ve had cancer!

Caroline Mattinson, colorectal patient representative, shares her experience of fitness after cancer.

I have always had a great interest in sport and keeping fit, eaten healthily, not drunk to excess and never smoked so you can imagine my shock when I was diagnosed with rectal cancer. I did not fit the bill – I was too young, I was too healthy, I had no family history. But there it was, a tumour.

So, I got on with making sure this cancer went away and would not come back. I was lucky as it was diagnosed at Stage 1 as in my professional life, I worked the for NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in Greater Manchester, so I knew the signs.

I had major surgery, radiotherapy but luckily no chemotherapy so I was soon able to get back to my ‘normal’ life – but was I?

Things were difficult, I could not just go back to healthy eating and levels of activity. My bowels although ‘put back together’ after a temporary colostomy,  my body had changed.

I was physically fit and a healthy weight before I got cancer, but after cancer it was more of a challenge to be both. I did not let this stop me and after a move to my forever home in Lytham, I discovered the Transform Hub Fylde with the most amazing coaching team and members. I started on my goal of becoming physically fit and a healthy weight again, which was not as easy as it had been before. I have become stronger both mentally and physically but not achieved my healthy weight just yet – I will get there.

We are lucky at the Hub to have a lead coach who is a Hyrox Champion, if you have not heard of Hyrox – where have you been? Hyrox is one the fastest growing global fitness competition which combines running and functional workout stations which really is for everyone. It ranges from extremely fit athletes to people in their 70s, the oldest competitor was a 70-year-old grandma who started training at 68!

So, when one by one my Hub friends started to take part in Hyrox, I was intrigued. Now, running is not my strength (or burpees!) but the rest I was mastering and after being a spectator one day in Manchester cheering on my Hub buddies I thought “yes, I can do this”.

I bought my first Hyrox event ticket 12 months before the event in Malaga, one to give myself the time to train and two because I am a lover of all things Spanish and have never been to Malaga. On 23 March, the day was here. I did not feel ready, but I wasn’t ready for cancer and that turned out ok.

On 14 December 2014, if you said that one day I would be taking part in a sporting event alongside 20-year-olds I would have laughed, but here I am doing it and loving it.

Cancer is not always the end, it can be the beginning.