Cancer has a way of shifting the ground under your feet. One week, you think you’re heading in a certain direction, and the next week, everything changes. A treatment works, then suddenly it doesn’t. A plan feels clear, then it has to be rewritten. Many survivors describe it as living with “moving goalposts.” It’s confusing and exhausting. At times, it can feel like everything is happening faster than you can process it.
For many years, this was Elizabeth Lindsay’s reality. But through Survivor Fitness, she found something she hadn’t felt in a long time: steadiness and a sense of control returning to her life.
Facing a Fast-Moving Diagnosis
Elizabeth’s cancer journey began in July 2023 during what she expected to be a routine mammogram. When something looked unclear, she was called back for an ultrasound and then a biopsy. Within three weeks, she had walked in and out of the same imaging center multiple times, and deep down she sensed what was coming.
When her doctor’s office called and asked her to come in, she already knew. The confirmation came that afternoon: invasive ductal carcinoma, Stage 1A, triple positive.
Everything moved quickly after that. At her first oncology appointment, Elizabeth’s doctor took the time to explain everything — from her diagnosis and treatment plan to recurrence rates and things to consider around vitamins, nutrition, and exercise.
“My mind was absolutely spinning, and I almost missed her discussing losing my hair,” she recalled.
The long months that followed were filled with unexpected changes, drug reactions, schedule shifts, and physical challenges she never anticipated. She often describes that time with a phrase many survivors will recognize: “the goalposts kept moving.”
But through it all, she made it to each milestone: chemotherapy, lumpectomy, radiation, and immunotherapy were all completed by Christmas Eve of that year. Soon after treatment concluded, Elizabeth stepped into the next chapter of her healing.
Finding Survivor Fitness
During treatment, Elizabeth worked closely with an oncology counselor and an integrative oncology nurse practitioner who helped her manage the emotional and physical stress of cancer care. Her healthcare team suggested she look into Survivor Fitness as she neared the end of her immunotherapy.
She did. And during her first call with Survivor Fitness staff, she mentioned—almost offhand—her partner MJ’s own history with kidney cancer. Immediately, she was asked something she didn’t expect:
“Would he like to do the program as well?” The answer was an easy yes.
In January 2025, just before her birthday, both Elizabeth and MJ began their 12-week programs. They were paired with trainers at Chadwick’s Fitness in Franklin and committed to two sessions a week. They had different trainers, different goals, and different paths for recovering from cancer, but they got to do it side by side.
Rebuilding Strength, Confidence, and Balance
Within a few weeks, Elizabeth began regaining muscle strength she’d lost during treatment, and she then surpassed her pre-cancer fitness levels. She became stronger, more flexible, and more confident in her body’s ability to move again. She lost body fat, built muscle, and felt herself returning—not just physically, but emotionally.
“The personal training has been outstanding,” she shared. “I’m more fit than I have been in too long to name.”
Elizabeth also participated in the nutrition coaching program, which added another layer of support. She learned how to fuel herself before and after workouts, found new sources of important nutrients, and gained clarity from a fresh set of eyes reviewing her lab work.
“The nutrition coaching paired well with the training to help me with foods to eat before and after sessions,” she shared.
Both her trainer and nutritionist helped her reshape her mindset to pursue progress, not perfection or unrealistic expectations.
“If you focus on progress, you get to keep stepping forward,” she said. “Even if you occasionally take a step back.”
Having people walk alongside Elizabeth on every step of her recovery journey made a world-changing difference. She felt seen, understood, and supported—not judged.
“Not all of my friends or family knew how to accept or support me,” she shared. “I appreciated my nutritionist celebrating my wins. Paige, my personal trainer, is my strongest cheerleader.”
Paying It Forward and Supporting Others
As strong as she feels today, Elizabeth hasn’t forgotten what those early days felt like. Her hope is to use her experience to help others navigate that same uncertainty. She’s even started writing what she jokingly calls her “Cancer 101 Procedural Manual.” Until that’s published, she shared a few pieces of encouragement for anyone beginning this journey:
- The goalposts will move. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. It’s okay.
- Your relationships may shift. Some friends will pull closer. Others may step back. It’s okay.
- Use every resource available—financial, physical, emotional.
- And finally, “You are not fighting cancer. You are the battleground for the fight. The doctor is the warrior. The drugs are the weapon.”
Elizabeth’s strength is quiet but powerful, and her story reminds us that healing is not a straight line. It twists and turns. It changes direction. But it also leads to new chapters filled with hope, resilience, and growth.
For Elizabeth, Survivor Fitness became the bridge between what she had endured and the stronger, steadier version of herself she is today.
Whether you’re a cancer survivor ready to take your next step or someone looking to support this mission, we invite you to learn more about our programs or get involved today.
