More times than often when I meet people or just in general conversation, it comes up that I’m a breast cancer survivor. I get one of two reactions, the first one being “awwww” followed by some sort of apology like they had anything to do with me getting breast cancer.

No apologies needed, I’m still alive and thriving.

The second one being, “You look so young. You don’t look like you’ve had cancer.”

I find both responses super interesting. I mean we’re human so if you are a good human being and have any empathy for human life the first response is a pretty natural one to have. Telling someone they don’t look like cancer has been a part of their life is even more interesting. Oddly enough, I get this one too.

Naturally, as you take care of your health (inside and out) your body starts to look better and you look like what people consider to be “healthy,” but my story definitely trumps that logic.

I can relate because in 2011 at the age of 30, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was a personal trainer during the time so it was literally my job to help people get to their physical best so they could hopefully dodge diseases like breast cancer. I was not only adamant about helping others change their lives, but I was leading by example and living a healthy lifestyle myself, hence why when I was diagnosed it was kind of unbelievable to those that knew me.

I mean they tell you if you workout, eat right, drink water, and a host of other things that your chances are low of you crossing paths with horrible diseases like breast cancer — kinda ironic.

I had taken my fitness regime to another level by training to hit the stage for a figure competition and it was around that time (Sept/Oct 2009) I had found my lump during a self-exam. I disregarded it because in my earlier twenties, I’d had lumps checked before, even had biopsies done, only for doctors to tell me I was fine and that’s how my breasts were made. I chalked this one up to being one of those and continued life as normal. With the intense training and extreme dieting I was doing, of course my body had morphed into the peak of its existence on more than occasion, I’d completed two shows by now.

I mean I couldn’t have been sick, right? I’m at the peak of my health, I’m eating “healthy,”and on top of that the lump wasn’t bothering me at all.

It was in February 2011, a whole whopping year and a half AFTER I’d originally found the lump that I got it checked. ABSOLUTELY CRAZY, I KNOW!!

I want to take a moment to say if you think ANYTHING is out of the norm for your body and what YOU know it to be (regardless of if it hurts or not), DON’T WAIT. GET IT CHECKED! Let me be your example. No one on this earth knows your body better than you do — get checked!! The only reason I decided to get it checked out was because I noticed when I raised my arm I could now see the lump poking out as opposed to just feeling it with my hands. The light bulb went off that “Hey, this thing is growing.”

I was a “healthy” 30 year old diagnosed with aggressive stage I HER-II positive breast cancer. Crazy right! I was doing all the things and I still got breast cancer.

Though my outward appearance and even my lifestyle represented “healthy,” I was not.

I will say I am so glad I’ve always lived a healthy lifestyle because it helped me conquer and recover from a lumpectomy in my right breast, six rounds of chemo, thirty-three rounds of radiation, five years of hormone therapy and so much more.

My oncologist was always amazed at my reactions to medications and my recovery time. He said it had a lot to do with the lifestyle that I was living and told me not to stop.

During my treatments, I still worked out, I still prepped my food (ESPECIALLY during my week of chemo) and I was still doing all of the things I did before just on a different intensity level.

Everything I’d taught my clients to do, I was doing. Because my body was conditioned from working out and eating healthy whole foods, it was nothing different when it came to my breast cancer journey.

I remember being set up with a nutritionist by my doctor. I was so on point she literally had nothing to recommend. Nothing.

Her response was, “You’re doing all of the right things.”

Yes, the chemo and radiation made me tired (amongst a host of other side effects) but I did what I could within my means. With any lifestyle change consistency is key, so when I could do more I did more. If I couldn’t, I didn’t beat myself up about it. It also made me feel “normal.”

Everything around me was changing and fitness has always been a constant in my life. This all allowed me to continue to look healthy and feel healthy. So that’s why I would get the “you don’t look sick” responses. I remember looking at photos from my shows on stage with my body looking at its peak but knowing now cancer was living in my body as I was on stage winning. How crazy is that?!?

Your health and wellness goals should not solely, not even mostly be designed around “a look.” Physical results will come when you do the work with your eating habits and staying consistent with your workouts. I am so grateful that choosing this lifestyle was not something that just benefited how I looked but has gracefully helped to guide my life and others lives by the choices I’ve made as well as sharing it with others. Our world is so visual, especially when it comes to the human body. It’s great to look good on the outside but do you know what’s going on on the inside?

I truly believe God set me up to fall in love with health and wellness because he KNEW that it would really help save my life and potentially help save others. This journey is never ending and as long as I’m alive I will use my platform to spread my passion for health and fitness through breast cancer advocacy.