Participant Spotlight: Rhonda VanCleave

Rhonda VanCleave

Rebuilding your life after cancer treatment rarely happens in a vacuum. Long after the clinical appointments end, the everyday world keeps moving. For many survivors, the challenge lies in navigating life’s major milestones—both the joyful moments and the deeply difficult ones—while your body is still healing. 

Learning how to listen to your body and care for it can be one of the most important parts of recovery.

For busy grandmother Rhonda VanCleave, Survivor Fitness helped her do exactly that. Her story is a powerful reminder that true recovery is not about forcing yourself to go at full speed all the time. It is about understanding your body and giving yourself the grace to slowly build back up.

Overcoming the Energy Slump

Rhonda’s cancer journey began in 2016 when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent a thyroidectomy. Several years later, in May 2023, she faced another diagnosis. This time it was breast cancer. She underwent lumpectomies on both breasts after doctors discovered cancerous tumors in each. Later that year, she completed bilateral proton radiation. Like many survivors, her treatment eventually came to an end. Her fatigue didn’t.

“I had little to no energy and what felt like the inability to rise above it,” Rhonda recalls.

She knew she wanted to feel stronger again, but getting started felt overwhelming.

“I knew I needed help to get over the slump.”

A Different Kind of Fitness Experience

Recognizing that she could not break the cycle of inactivity on her own, she took the leap to look for outside support. The opportunity arrived via an email from Oncovery, which introduced her to Survivor Fitness. In late 2025, she was paired with personal trainer Randianne Sears at Evolve Fitness.

Like many people entering a post-cancer exercise program, Rhonda wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.

“I imagined being sweaty and sore and pushed to improve,” Rhonda admits. “But I was pleasantly surprised. Randianne was super encouraging from day one. She challenged but did not push. She made me feel good about any progress, physical or mental.”

That personal connection changed everything. Working out stopped feeling like a grueling chore and became an empowering discovery process. While Rhonda did sweat during her sessions, it felt good because it was rooted in a newfound desire to improve and an awareness of what her body could truly achieve.

“I learned more than I expected. It wasn’t just about exercise, but how to do some things and why it impacts your body.”

Learning That Recovery Is Part of the Journey

One of the biggest lessons Rhonda carries with her today has little to do with weights or workouts. It’s about giving herself permission to recover. 

“I don’t feel like I’m failing when my body needs recovery time after an intense stretch emotionally or physically,” she says.

Survivor Fitness gave Rhonda the tools to navigate heavy emotional and physical seasons without feeling like she was failing. Whether she is stepping back from an intense stretch of grief—such as the recent passing of her mother—or simply recovering from a joyful, high-energy vacation week with her family, her perspective on rest has completely changed.

“Regardless of the reasons, good or bad, it’s okay to allow for some recovery time, then slowly build back up. Rather than feeling in a slump of inactivity, I accept that there are times of less energy, but each day is a new chance to do something active.”

That perspective has helped her replace guilt with confidence and consistency.

One Step Can Change Everything

Looking back, Rhonda says the hardest part of the entire experience wasn’t one particular workout. It was making the first appointment. Like many participants, she wasn’t sure what the program would be like or whether she was ready. Today, she’s grateful she took that first step.

“Do it!” she encourages other survivors. “The encouragement and accountability are great tools to get moving forward again.”

At Survivor Fitness, that’s exactly what we hope every participant discovers. Recovery isn’t about returning to who you were before cancer. It’s about learning how to care for the person you are today. With the right support, guidance, and encouragement, every small step forward becomes part of something much bigger.

Are you ready to break out of the post-treatment slump and learn how to support your body through every season of life? 

You don’t have to figure out the path to physical wellness on your own. Survivor Fitness provides personal fitness training, nutritional guidance, mental health counseling, and the community support you need to move forward.

Learn more about our programs or apply today to begin your own recovery journey.

Participant Spotlight: Mary Romano

Mary Romano survivor fitness participant

For more than two decades, Dr. Mary Romano has spent her career helping young people navigate complex health challenges. As an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, she has dedicated her professional life to caring for patients and guiding families through difficult seasons.

In 2023, a breast cancer diagnosis forced a sudden, disorienting role reversal.

After her diagnosis, Mary began a treatment journey that included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. While her medical training helped her understand the road ahead, it also brought a heightened awareness of the uncertainties and challenges that cancer treatment can bring.

“I am a physician, so it was incredibly challenging to be on that side of the doctor-patient relationship,” she shared. “Knowledge is a blessing and a curse.”

The Invisible Challenge of “Going Back to Normal”

While Mary managed to keep up with her demanding job throughout her treatments, the true challenge emerged after the clinical interventions ended. To the outside world, she seemed to be doing remarkably well.

“The return to work and ‘going back to normal’ was definitely harder than expected,” Mary shares. “It was something I felt others didn’t realize was happening, since I seemed ‘fine’ for the most part.”

Like many survivors, she discovered that returning to work and everyday routines was difficult. Her medical appointments became less frequent, but the effects of treatment remained. That experience helped her recognize something many survivors face: finishing treatment does not automatically mean recovery is complete.

Rebuilding Strength with Personalized Support

Mary wanted to regain her strength, balance, and flexibility, but she found herself struggling to return to the gym on her own. She wanted to get back into a routine, but she needed a dedicated space to process what her body had been through.

As Mary described her frustrations with her plastic surgeon, she recognized exactly what was missing and recommended Survivor Fitness.

“I knew I needed something else to move forward and past treatment,” Mary says. “I hadn’t really utilized any resources like this before and, honestly, I figured, why not!”

Starting the program allowed Mary to pause and acknowledge that her recovery was an ongoing process. Working one-on-one with a personal trainer provided a structured environment where she could safely focus on recovering her strength, balance, and flexibility. 

In many ways, Survivor Fitness also gave Mary permission to acknowledge something she had been pushing through for months.

“Survivor Fitness allowed me to pause and recognize that I was still recovering and that I still needed help to move forward,” she said. “Perhaps not to return to normal, but at least to feel more like myself.”

That shift in perspective helped her focus less on getting back to who she was before cancer and more on building strength for the future.

Grace, Time, and Patience

Today, Mary encourages other cancer survivors to be patient with themselves and to accept support when it’s offered.

“I would tell them to give themselves grace, time, and patience,” she said. “To ask for help and utilize resources when offered. You can never have too much help or too much support.”

Her experience also reinforced the importance of ongoing survivorship resources.

“Having the awareness and acknowledgment of the need for ongoing support and resources for survivors is important, no matter how far out you get from treatment and how ‘okay’ you seem to others.”

Our team at Survivor Fitness couldn’t agree more. We’re grateful that Mary trusted us to be part of her journey and thankful for the reminder that strength isn’t always about pushing through alone.

Are you ready to stop trying to force yourself “back to normal” and start moving forward on your own terms?

Whether you are navigating the physical side effects of treatment or trying to manage the mental transition back to everyday life, Survivor Fitness is here to support you with one-on-one fitness training, nutritional coaching, and mental health support. 

Learn more about our programs or apply today. You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter for timely insights and tips for reclaiming your life after cancer treatment. 

Summer Nutrition Made Simpler: Practical Advice for Busy Cancer Survivors

Summer has a way of disrupting even the best intentions. Schedules change, the kids are home from school, vacations fill the calendar, and evening activities seem to pop up every night of the week. Before long, healthy eating becomes one more thing competing for your attention.

For many cancer survivors, nutrition plays an important role in recovery, energy levels, and overall well-being. Yet healthy eating is often one of the first things pushed aside when life gets busy.

That’s why we were excited to launch our Summer Nutrition Series with Julia Clover, a registered dietitian with Flora Wellness Practitioners. Julia is licensed in Michigan, Tennessee, Indiana, and Florida and has helped dozens of Survivor Fitness participants develop sustainable nutrition habits that fit real life.

Recently, Julia shared the first session in the series, Meal Planning Without the Overwhelm. In just 15 minutes, she packed in practical advice that can help anyone reduce stress around food and create healthier routines.

Healthy Summer Eating Made Simple

Here are three of our favorite takeaways from Julia’s first session: 

1. Recognize What You’re Up Against

One of the most powerful moments in the webinar came when Julia shared a simple truth:

“Life may never slow down enough to make healthy eating feel super easy or convenient.”

Many of us are waiting for the perfect season of life before we commit to healthier habits. We tell ourselves we’ll meal prep when work settles down. We’ll cook more when the kids’ schedules calm down. We’ll focus on nutrition after vacation season ends.

The reality is that life rarely becomes less busy.

Mental fatigue and overwhelming schedules directly impact our food choices. After a long day of making decisions at work, managing family responsibilities, or navigating recovery, convenience often wins.

Instead of feeling guilty about those challenges, Julia encourages people to acknowledge them honestly. Once you recognize the obstacles, you can begin creating strategies that work with your life rather than against it.

Healthy eating becomes much more sustainable when you stop expecting perfection and start preparing for reality.

2. Understanding the Meal Time Stress Equation

Another insight that resonated with many participants was Julia’s “Meal Time Stress Equation.”

Meal Time Stress = High Expectations + Limited Time + Decision Fatigue

When you think about it, most stressful meals include all three ingredients.

First, there are the expectations. Many people want to eat healthier during the summer because they want more energy, better health, or simply to feel their best.

Then comes the time challenge. Summer schedules are often packed with activities, travel, appointments, and social events. Meals quickly become an afterthought.

Finally, there’s decision fatigue. By the end of the day, you’ve already made countless decisions. Choosing what to cook can feel like one decision too many.

The good news is that you don’t have to solve every part of the equation perfectly. You can lower expectations by focusing on progress instead of perfection. You can reduce time pressure by keeping simple ingredients on hand. You can minimize decision fatigue by planning a few meals ahead of time or creating a list of go-to options for busy days.

Small adjustments can dramatically reduce the stress that surrounds healthy eating.

3. Shift Your Mindset from Restriction to Support

One of the themes we hear repeatedly from Survivor Fitness nutrition partners is that sustainable nutrition starts with changing how we think about food.

Too often, healthy eating becomes associated with restriction, pressure, and rules. Julia encourages a different perspective.

Instead of asking, “What should I cut out?” try asking, “How can I better support my body?”

That shift changes everything. It becomes easier to focus on adding fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and other nutrient-dense foods instead of obsessing over what you shouldn’t eat.

For cancer survivors, this mindset can be especially powerful. Recovery is not built on a single meal or a perfect week of eating. It’s built through small, consistent habits practiced over time.

The goal is not to create a perfect summer nutrition plan. The goal is to find realistic habits that support your energy, health, and quality of life long after summer ends.

Looking for More Summer Nutrition Inspiration?

If you’re ready to put some of these ideas into practice, here are a few additional Survivor Fitness resources:

You can also review our free Survivor Fitness Recipe Book, which includes more than 100 nutritious recipes designed to support survivors and their families.

And don’t forget to follow Survivor Fitness on Facebook to stay up to date on upcoming Summer Nutrition webinars, educational resources, and practical tips from our team of nutrition, fitness, and mental health experts.

Summer Strength Training: Simple Ways to Stay Active During the Dog Days of Summer

The arrival of summer usually sparks an instinct to take everything outdoors. We are flooded with messages telling us to get outside, hit the trails, and soak up the sun. But if you are working to rebuild your body after cancer treatment, planning classic summer activities can feel exhausting before your day even begins.

When you are recovering, high heat and heavy humidity change the game. Pushing through a hot outdoor workout doesn’t build resilience; it actually forces your body to divert critical energy away from muscle repair just to keep you cool.

This summer, the goal is to shift your strategy. By taking your workouts indoors and focusing on smart, deliberate strength training, you can protect your energy baseline while continuing to build a foundation that lasts long after the season changes.

The Physiology of Heat and Muscle Recovery

To get the most out of your summer workouts, it helps to understand what is happening under the surface. Cancer treatments, including specific chemotherapies and radiation, can disrupt the body’s autonomic nervous system, altering how your core temperature is regulated.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology notes that cancer-related fatigue is fundamentally different from normal tiredness—it operates at a cellular level. When you exercise in the heat, your cardiovascular system has to work twice as hard. Your heart pumps massive amounts of blood to the skin surface just to release heat through sweat.

For a survivor, this means less oxygenated blood is reaching your muscles to help them strengthen and recover. By moving your strength routine into a temperature-controlled indoor environment, you eliminate this cardiovascular tax. Your body can focus 100% of its resources on what matters most: rebuilding muscle mass, supporting bone density, and increasing your daily stamina.

Designing a Sustainable Summer Strength Routine

Staying active without overdoing it requires a departure from the standard high-intensity gym mentality. True strength after treatment is built on precision and pacing. Here are a few research-based tips for strength training during the summer months: 

1. Prioritize Rest Periods Over Repetitions 

In warmer months, your central nervous system fatigues faster. Lengthening your rest time between sets to a full two or three minutes allows your heart rate to return to baseline, ensuring your next movement is safe and controlled.

A 2021 study from the American College of Sports Medicine found that adequate recovery between workouts helps maintain performance, reduce excessive fatigue, and support safer training outcomes, especially among individuals rebuilding fitness capacity after illness or extended inactivity. 

2. Emphasize Seated and Supported Movements 

If you are navigating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy or balance challenges, hot weather can amplify feelings of dizziness. Swapping standing squats for seated leg presses or utilizing chest press machines instead of free weights keeps your muscles working without putting your balance at risk.

This recommendation aligns with research published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer showing that balance impairments and mobility limitations are common among cancer survivors experiencing peripheral neuropathy. Studies suggest that modifying exercise environments and using supportive equipment can help individuals remain physically active while improving strength and confidence.

3. Leverage the Power of Resistance Bands

On days when your energy feels low but you still want to maintain your routine, resistance bands provide an excellent, low-impact alternative to heavy weights. They allow you to stimulate muscle fibers and protect joint health without causing the systemic fatigue that leaves you wiped out the next day.

Research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that elastic resistance training can produce meaningful improvements in muscular strength and functional fitness comparable to traditional resistance training when programmed appropriately. For cancer survivors rebuilding strength after treatment, resistance bands offer a practical way to stay consistent, even during periods of fluctuating energy.

Finding Your True Energy Baseline

Every day of recovery looks different, and summer schedules add an extra layer of unpredictability. Before beginning any movement session, take a moment to assess your physical baseline. If your energy is low, give yourself permission to adapt.

It is also important to remember that recovery is not measured by how much you can do in a single day. It is built through consistent choices repeated over time.

True consistency is not about doing the exact same workout every day; it is about adjusting the weight, the reps, or the movement to match what your body can safely handle in the moment. Meeting your body where it is right now is the most effective way to ensure you keep moving forward.

Join the Journey This Summer

Rebuilding your strength after cancer requires a roadmap that is as unique as your medical history. Our Survivor Fitness personal training partners across Tennessee specialize in creating customized, indoor strength programs that respect your boundaries while safely challenging your potential.

Here are a few additional resources to help you make the most of the summer season:

If you’re looking for additional encouragement, resources, and opportunities to stay connected, here are a few next steps: