My name is Lisl Windham and I am so honored to share my story! I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer when I was 45 years old.There is no history of any kind of cancer in my family and I almost skipped my mammogram that year.(what a mistake that would have been!) I was in the best shape of my life. I was working in the fitness industry as a Group Fitness Director, and blogging about workouts and food.I was so shocked and scared.While I am not one of those that will paint a rosy picture of cancer, I will say that I have grown tremendously as a person.I received a bilateral mastectomy a few weeks later.I had many complications from surgery and had to have a latissimus dorsi muscle flap to create a healthy breast pocket.I have had no less that 6 operations to reconstruct what Cancer damaged. My mantra throughout was that 'this is just a bump in the road' and I will ROCK this.As a fitness instructor and CycleStar, I am now SO much more able to identify with my riders and their struggles and experiences.When I am coaching, I know what it feels like to be at the lowest point in my life and what it takes to climb my way back.
I love that I can look a rider in the eye and heart and connect with them in our truth of survival, no matter what the struggle.