Success story: From cancer survivor to pilates instructor
Samantha Fox turned 55 last month and will open her own pilates studio, Fox Pilates, this week in Salt Lake City. It’s something the Midway resident thought unimaginable four years ago when she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
Goal
To regain my strength, mobility, balance — and confidence —after undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.
Inspiration
I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in April of 2008. I underwent a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and a month later started chemotherapy followed by 25 rounds of radiation.
I wish I could say that it went smoothly, but like Murphy’s Law, everything that could go wrong did. Due to the chemotherapy and the surgeries, I not only lost my strength and mobility, I had also lost my balance and control of my life. Being active since childhood, I decided to take control of those things I could.
How she did it
As soon as my surgeon would allow, I put my bike on an indoor trainer and started to ride. I started with 5 minutes the first day, adding 5 minutes each day. Within two weeks I was pedaling for an hour. Next I worked on improving the range of motion in my shoulders — I could not reach my arms up over my head. I had been practicing pilates for about 10 years, so I put together a program of stretches and exercises that I did every day.
After the radiation, my left side would not heal. In December of 2009, a plastic surgeon performed a lat flap surgery. He said it might be difficult to swim, ride a bike uphill or cross country ski. Well, that wouldn’t do. I had come too far.
By February I was in the pool.
In April, I rode my bike in the Salt Lake City Bike Tour, the same route as the marathon. Due to my lack of balance, I first started walking with my cross-country ski poles. Soon my three-mile walks became three-mile runs up Memorial Hill. That July I went to Hawaii and completed the “Tin Man Triathlon,” an Olympic distance triathlon. I was back.
I decided to give up my career as a real estate agent to pursue a career as a certified pilates instructor. After training in Canada for seven months, I moved back to Utah and worked as an instructor at the Montage Hotel Park City. An opportunity arose recently and on Monday, Jan. 2, I am opening Fox Pilates, 910 E. 3300 South, in Salt Lake City. Learn more about my classes at foxpilates.com
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