For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we invited Ann Williams, founder of Nashville-based Yearly Co. and a Survivor Fitness participant, to share her perspective on life after breast cancer.
Ann has experienced firsthand the challenges of returning to everyday life after treatment, and she continues to use her story to encourage and support other women. We’re grateful for the opportunity to share her perspective on self-care, finding the right support, and learning to celebrate what comes next.
–
As a breast cancer survivor, I’m grateful for the awareness, research, and conversations that can help other women. But I also know how much this experience can change you, and how important it is to keep talking about what happens after treatment ends.
I was diagnosed with stage 1, grade 3, ER/PR and HER2-positive breast cancer when I was 37. I had two invasive ductal carcinoma tumors and went through six rounds of TCHP chemotherapy followed by a double mastectomy.
At the time, I was a mom to two young girls, a wife, and a business owner. I was used to caring for lots of people and balancing many tasks at once. Cancer forced me to stop.
I stepped away from work and focused 100% on my healing and health. I was incredibly grateful for the people who surrounded and supported me through that season, especially the community we have here in Nashville.
But one of the biggest things cancer taught me was that taking care of myself couldn’t be something I squeezed in when everything else was taken care of. It had to become a priority.
Life After Cancer Looks Different
Cancer has changed the way I approach almost everything.
I’m still a wife, mom, and business owner. Life is just as busy as before my diagnosis.
But I’ve learned that taking care of myself is not separate from taking care of everything else; it helps me show up for it all.
That doesn’t mean I do everything perfectly. But I’m more intentional about my health and well-being. Exercise is non-negotiable. So is eating well. So is making time to rest.
Cancer has also made me a stronger advocate for myself and for other women. I know how overwhelming it can be to figure out what comes next, and I want other women to know they don’t have to figure it out alone.
Find a Plan That Works for You
Before cancer, I enjoyed being active. I had tried different exercise classes and liked moving my body—but after treatment and surgery, I felt a little lost.
I knew I wanted to get back into fitness, but I didn’t know what I could safely do. My body felt different, and I wasn’t sure how to start.
That’s how I found Survivor Fitness.
I was so excited to learn that a program like this existed. I knew I needed someone to guide me back into working out, and I loved that the trainers understood what cancer survivors had been through.
From my first session, I felt like I had a plan. We started by measuring my range of motion and taking measurements so we could track my progress. The trainer and gym I was matched with were warm, friendly, and fun. I also saw other cancer survivors coming through the gym, which was a reminder that I wasn’t the only person figuring out what came next.
Over the course of the program, I became more comfortable and confident in the gym. I learned how important it can be to find a personalized approach when you’re learning how to balance fitness with real life and advocate for your health.
Find Support to Help You Continue to Move Forward
For me, Survivor Fitness was the bridge I needed to keep moving forward.
I knew my body would feel different after cancer treatment and surgery; I just didn’t know exactly what that would look like. Having a trainer who knew how to ease me back into exercise and challenge me appropriately gave me the confidence to start pushing myself again.
It also helped remove the excuses and uncertainty that had been holding me back. What can I do? Is this safe? Do I have time? Is working out worth the effort?
Someone helped me answer those questions.
If you’re a cancer survivor thinking about getting back into exercise but aren’t sure where to start, my advice is simple: don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
Working with a free, qualified personal trainer who understands cancer survivorship is such a gift. Even if you’ve never been to a gym before, Survivor Fitness can help you get comfortable with what your body is capable of.
Because your body may feel different after cancer—mine certainly did. But different doesn’t mean you have to stop caring for it. This experience has helped me realize how much there is to celebrate.
Celebrating the Women We Become
That desire to support and celebrate women is also at the heart of my business, Yearly Co.
The company started with a family tradition. My grandfather gave my grandmother a gold bangle each year of their marriage. Sixty years later, I started making similar gold bangles in my garage to share that tradition with other women.
What started as a naptime hobby has grown into a fine jewelry company with 15 employees, an office on Music Row, and a retail showroom in Green Hills. We make custom-fit bangles and other solid gold pieces designed to celebrate the special occasions, milestones and stories that make each woman’s life her own.
Cancer has given that mission even more meaning for me.
At Yearly Co., we love helping women celebrate their stories with jewelry. Survivor Fitness helps women celebrate their stories another way, by helping them care for themselves, rebuild their strength, and feel confident in their bodies again.
I love supporting organizations that help women become the best versions of themselves, and I’m incredibly thankful that Survivor Fitness exists.
