The Survivor Fitness Network: How Alumni Stay Connected

survivor fitness alumni staying connected after participation

One of the greatest joys of Survivor Fitness is getting a front row seat to the transformation that takes place from the moment a participant submits their application to who they become 12 weeks later. 

Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working with more than a thousand cancer survivors through personal training, nutrition coaching, and mental health counseling. After receiving such life-changing interventions, many participants recognize that this is just the beginning of a new chapter. They want to stay connected to the Survivor Fitness community through monthly workshops, weekly classes, and more.

Feedback from our participants has inspired us to create even more ways for alumni to remain part of our community because healing doesn’t stop at week twelve, and neither should support.

How to Stay Connected and Involved with Survivor Fitness 

If you’ve completed the program and are wondering what’s next, here are a few ways to stay involved and keep the momentum going:

1. Keep Learning with Monthly Trainings and Workshops

Throughout the year, our trainers and partners host virtual workshops that cover a wide range of health and wellness topics. These sessions are simple, practical, and specifically designed with survivors in mind.

You might join a stretch and mobility class, an at-home yoga session, a women’s health workshop, or a quick training workout you can do from your living room. 

They’re easy to attend and a great way to stay consistent without overcomplicating your schedule. As alum Leisha Smith shared, “I love that Survivor Fitness checks in on me and how they offer group classes and informational webinars.”

You can follow our social channels to catch upcoming dates and topics. Additionally, these events are open to anyone, including friends or family, so you can invite others and build your community.  

2. Join Group Fitness Opportunities

For many survivors, working out alone feels intimidating. That’s why several of our training partners now offer group fitness classes specifically for Survivor Fitness alumni.

These small group sessions provide structure, accountability, and encouragement. You’ll still receive expert guidance, but you’ll also get something just as valuable: people who understand what you’ve been through.

Meghan Miller put it perfectly: “It feels great to be connected with a group that really understands what cancer survivors need to meet their fitness goals. Being with others who went through the program helped make the recovery process not so daunting.”

If you’re interested, reach out to our team to learn what’s available in your area.

3. Stay Connected Through Annual Events

Connection doesn’t only happen in the gym.

From Rock the Row races to Survivor Fitness Soirees and community fundraisers, our annual events bring survivors, families, trainers, and supporters together in one place. They’re celebrations of strength and resilience. They’re also reminders that you’re never walking this journey alone.

Showing up, sharing your story, or simply cheering others on can be just as powerful as a workout.

4. Find Connection and Community Online

We recently launched a private Facebook group just for participants and alumni. It’s a space to ask questions, celebrate wins, swap recipes, share struggles, and encourage one another. Sometimes, a quick message from someone who gets it makes all the difference.

John Adamick summed it up best: “There is a generous and caring group of people who care. Just look at me—I am a testament to that.”

If you haven’t joined our Facebook group yet, we’d love to see you there.

Moving Forward with Confidence

One of the biggest challenges survivors face is consistency after the program ends. Life gets busy, other responsibilities pile up, and motivation can wane. Accountability can be tough for all of us, and that’s why staying connected matters.

You don’t have to do everything at once! Instead, start small. Pick one class, attend one event, or reach out to one friend you met through Survivor Fitness. Keep building on what you’ve already accomplished, and remember how far you’ve come.

You’ve already done something hard. You showed up for yourself during one of the most challenging seasons of your life. That strength doesn’t disappear when the program ends. It grows.

Wherever you are in your survivorship journey, we’re still here, cheering you on and ready to support you as you thrive. You can increase our reach by sharing more about our organization with others. If you know other cancer survivors looking to rebuild strength and confidence through personalized fitness, nutrition coaching, or mental health counseling, encourage them to apply today.

Board Member Spotlight: Sam Pyle

Board Member Sam Pyle

Survivor Fitness has grown quickly in recent years —a result of people who care deeply about survivors and who choose to give their time, talent, and heart to our mission. Samantha Pyle is one of those people.

From early board leadership to corporate sponsorship, Sam has been part of Survivor Fitness through several seasons of growth. And for her, the connection is both professional and deeply personal.

Drawn In by One Story, Staying for Thousands More

Samantha first learned about Survivor Fitness through an old friend, former board member and participant Ronn Hollis. The two worked together years earlier at St. Thomas Health Services and stayed in touch. After Ronn went through cancer treatment, they met for coffee to reconnect.

That’s when he told her about Survivor Fitness.

“After seeing how Survivor Fitness helped Ronn, I wanted to do all I could to help other survivors,” she says.

But her motivation went even deeper than friendship. Sam is the daughter of a cancer survivor. She’s seen up close what the long-term effects of treatment can look like, even after someone is declared cancer-free.

“As the daughter of a cancer survivor, I have seen firsthand the long-term effects of the disease and the treatments used to keep my mom alive,” she shares. “My mom and all cancer survivors deserve an organization that helps them get their life back after cancer.”

That focus on life after treatment is what stood out most to her.

Sam has volunteered with several well-known cancer organizations over the years, and each one plays an important role in supporting individuals during a difficult time. But Survivor Fitness felt different.

“I love that Survivor Fitness supports people in their new reality as a survivor,” she says. “There is no other organization like them, and through financial support, we’re able to offer all services for free to participants.”

Being Reminded of Why This Work Matters

Over the years, Sam has seen countless examples of the organization’s impact, but one moment at the 2025 Survivor Soirée reminded her just how much this work matters.

Sam invited her friends Ron Lustig and Robbie Lustig to join her table for the Soirée. Ron eagerly agreed because of his awareness of the organization. For years, Ron’s personal trainer had led sessions with Survivor Fitness participants.

When the event arrived, Ron appeared alone. He shared that his wife had received leukemia news earlier that day and couldn’t attend. Still, he chose to come to the event on her behalf.

“The event was extremely emotional,” Sam says. “I was so moved that even though Ron had received such difficult news, he still wanted to come and support the work of Survivor Fitness.”

Moments like that stick with her. They’re a reminder that Survivor Fitness isn’t just a program. It’s a community people lean on during some of the hardest days of their lives.

Turning Passion into Impact

Since first joining the board in 2019, Sam has taken on multiple roles, including serving as marketing chair and board chair. During her two years away from the board, she stayed connected as both a corporate sponsor and individual supporter. Now, she’s back for another four-year term, stepping into a new role as development chair.

Her goal is simple and ambitious at the same time. Help Survivor Fitness reach more people.

“The more money we raise, the more cancer survivors we can support,” she says.

Looking ahead, Sam is especially excited about the continued growth of Survivor Fitness’s mental health program, which she helped establish during her first board term.

“By adding that service, we can now take care of the body and mind,” she says. “That means a lot to me.”

And if she had one message for participants, it would be this: start where you are.

“Even if you’ve never worked out or never attended a therapy session, give it a try,” she says. “You don’t have to do it all at once. Ease into it. Every step counts.”

That steady, encouraging mindset mirrors the way Sam shows up for Survivor Fitness. Passionate. Committed. Focused on what’s possible.

“I will not stop until Survivor Fitness is a national nonprofit,” she says with a smile.

With leaders like Sam helping guide the way, that future feels closer every day.