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.
