What If I Hadn’t Been Fit?
How a Sedentary Lifestyle Could Have Changed My Cancer Journey
I think about this often:
What if I hadn’t been fit when I was diagnosed?
When I was told I had stage 4 melanoma—with a brain tumour that had already spread—I wasn’t just fighting for my life, I was fighting to keep my body working. And it hit me hard: if I hadn’t already built a foundation of fitness, I don’t know how I would’ve coped.
A sedentary lifestyle might have changed everything.
Before the Diagnosis: Fitness Was Just My Life
Before cancer, I was active. Fitness wasn’t about chasing a certain look—it was my lifestyle. I trained consistently, moved daily, and valued what my body could do. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was quietly building the resilience I’d one day need.
My strength wasn’t just physical—it was mental. It was routine. It was habit. And when everything changed, those things were already in place.
When Cancer Hit: Fitness Became My Lifeline
Treatment was brutal. The brain tumour affected my coordination and speech.
The drugs were aggressive. My body was under siege. But even in the worst moments, I had something to fall back on—my fitness.
Because I’d been strong before, I could walk again after brain surgery.
Because I’d built endurance, I could handle fatigue better.
Because I was used to moving, I had the confidence to start again—even if that meant five minutes on a bike with tears streaming down my face.
Fitness gave me a way back to myself. It didn’t cure the cancer, but it helped me fight.
What If I Hadn’t Been Fit?
It’s hard to imagine. Would I have had the mobility to walk again so soon?
Would I have had the strength to push through fatigue and brain fog?
Would I have had the hope that comes with moving your body—even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart?
If I’d been sedentary, I would’ve been starting from zero. And during treatment, there isn’t always time to build from the ground up. Your body is already being pushed to its limits—you need every bit of strength you can bring into that fight.
This Isn’t About Fear. It’s About Readiness.
I’m not here to scare anyone. I’m here to say this:
Movement is preparation.
Not just for weight loss, not just for stress relief, not even just for better sleep. It’s preparation for the unexpected—for illness, for recovery, for whatever life throws your way.
“And you don’t have to become a gym warrior to start.
Walk around the block. Do five minutes of stretching. Try one squat.”
Do it not because something might go wrong—but because your body deserves to be ready for whatever comes next.