'Absolutely amazing' - how one Offaly personal trainer is helping cancer patients recover

As Ireland becomes more health and fitness orientated than ever in recent years, personal training has grown massively as a result with gym-goers looking to take every advantage to getting as fit as possible.

Ferbane native Stephen Spollen experienced his own fitness journey many years ago which inspired him to become a personal trainer in order to help others achieve their own fitness goals. 

He reflected: "I got into going to the gym when I was 24 stone and needed to lose weight, I didn't know where to go or what to do so I decided to look more into personal training then I got a massive bug for fitness.

This paved the way for a change in career for Stephen who has been thriving as a personal trainer for well over a decade.

However, a couple of years ago, he decided to find a new area of personal training to specialise in which would alter his approach to fitness and cater to a brand new clientele.

He explained: "In the last 2 years, I was looking for a niche so to say, I always wanted to be a personal trainer to a specific group of people, I just wasn't sure as to what."

It was a chance meeting with a new client which changed Stephen's outlook on the benefits of personal training and strength conditioning before ultimately sending him down a new path in his profession.

Speaking on how the change came about, he said: "A lady called Edel Mahon approached me for training who is still currently going through long-term treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

At the time, she had very poor rates of movement with lots of fatigue from constantly going through chemotherapy so we decided to put a training plan together."

It was new ground for Stephen to offer personal training to a client going through cancer treatment and he had to carry out his own research in order to give her the best possible plan. 

He stated: "Once I researched, I realised there were a lot of studies starting to come out on how vital strength training was for people going through chemotherapy and radiotherapy both during and after the treatments in order to keep energy levels up."

Stephen is adamant that this type of training will become a vital part of cancer recovery plans in the near future.

"I believe that it's going to be part of the cancer care programmes from next year on, that strength training will be a big element of the rehabilitation, there's research coming out that strength training slows the chance of cancer recurrence by 45%."

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He reflected on the impact taking Edel on as a client had on him. "She's great, we've become very good friends out of it. She continues her treatment but she's gone from check ups every 3 months to having them annually. She used to have a very restricted range of motion, extreme fatigue and low mood.

Obviously, you'll always hit a certain ceiling after everything she went through but her range of motion is perfect, her strength is unbelievable. I get emotional talking about her journey because she was my first client in this area and she still is a current client so to see how much she's grown is absolutely amazing."

The experience confirmed Stephen's choice to move into providing specialist exercise training for those who have gone through cancer treatment as part of their recovery and rehabilitation process.

The father of four said: "After helping Edel in her recovery following treatment, it was her word of mouth which brought on two other female cancer patients who wanted similar help and that showed me where I really wanted to be.

You can visibly see the results of the fatigue leaving them and gaining more strength and confidence, they're then able to fight the illness and the side effects it brings as a result of the training, Edel's oncologist told her that the benefits have been evident."

This experience prompted Stephen to earn a qualification to fully equip himself in training cancer patients and begin to help more people going through similar treatments. 

"I found a specific course where you could become a cancer exercise specialist which I completed through the Cancer Exercise Training Institution (CETI) based in the United Kingdom.

The course educated me on all the different types of cancer along with the specific needs of patients after going through certain treatments and operations."

After experiencing working in both areas, Stephen says there is a big difference in how people recovering from cancer need to be trained as opposed to most people turning up to the gym to improve their fitness.

He explained: "You have to be very intuitive with the person. These people are after going through treatment and are on specific medication. Following certain operations, some movements will be restricted so you have to adapt particular strength training exercises to suit their range of motion and build on it from there.

You also have to watch their energy levels. Certain people who have recently had operations can't suddenly do a lot of training, they all have to be managed correctly over time. It's all small steps on a ladder to a bigger outcome."

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Stephen also detailed what a typical training plan looks like for clients. "It's based on assessment, I have to check their range of motion, movement and fatigue levels. You have to take things slowly but people can progress quite quickly once they get started.

You just have to work with the needs of the client and constantly be in contact with them about how they are feeling to know how to better adapt and change the workouts to suit them. This is mainly because every week will be different for them until they come out the other side of their recovery."

Stephen says many people will be going through treatment for the foreseeable future and that it's important to note that the training is there to help them, he reiterates that once the right plan is put in place for clients then it can have a huge impact on them both physically and mentally.

"I would say confidence and normality are the two biggest things, you're talking about people who have probably just got the biggest shock of their lives. All they usually hear is things like 'we'll have to see how this goes' and they're never really told 'you'll get through this'.

Gaining confidence and a sense of normality again is so important, many of these people have spent weeks and months in hospitals and their self-esteem, confidence and energy drops. Some people even lose a little bit of hope but strength training brings back the energy, fitness levels and confidence and helps people to feel like themselves again which is a big thing."

When asked if clients have been sceptical of the benefits which training can provide them. Stephen explained: "I think the biggest problem I would find at the moment is because they are so tired from going through treatment that they think they won't have the energy to exercise.

The evidence shows that once you start then energy creates energy then you'll gain momentum and feel back to normal which will entice people then to do that little bit more which furthers progress."

One of the biggest obstacles for Stephen's training was trying to cater for clients going through treatment in other parts of the country that he couldn't see on a regular basis.

In order to combat this, he set up the Willowfit app which allowed him to assess clients and give them specific training plans to cater to them on a platform where he could regularly monitor their progress and assign them new exercises as part of their recovery. 

Stephen remembered: "I got in touch with a developer who custom branded an app for me which meant that I was able to put my own strength training videos into it and have consultations and bring people on board where I could design workout plans specifically for them.

There were several people from Dublin who reached out to me prior to the app but distance was an issue. I was able to get in contact with them and did consultations, they were a bit further along in their treatment than when they first got in touch."

He continued: "I was able to talk about their specific ranges of motion, what they could and couldn't do so I knew exactly what would help them best.

Therefore, I was able to go and record the workouts specifically for each of them and input them into the app including the amount of sets, they could then record that the session was completed and we would review it together every week and progress from there."

The app can be downloaded on Android and Apple but it can't be accessed until there's a consultation done with Stephen in order to discuss the background, medical history and goals of the client.

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Stephen says the app has been a vital part of the journey for many clients and he has witnessed the benefits it brings first hand.

"I meet anyone local that I can, I work out of the Midland Boxercise Gym in Banagher but anyone that's further away or can't travel for whatever reason then it's absolutely possible to work with them through the app.

I would put in the prescribed amount of weights and reps, the app often asks them if they can push a little more than the original amount which can often further progress quicker, obviously it's all done under supervision."

The 43-year-old continued: I'd always be on hand to tell them if it's too much too soon and get them to pull back a little bit without breaking their confidence so it's about finding that balance for clients in their training. 

Another Client who regularly trains with Stephen in Banagher is Carol Grogan who, like Edel, is also having long-term treatment for metastatic cancer but he praised her attitude towards exercising despite continued adversity and health issues. 

Stephen revealed: "Carol is a remarkable lady, she has been with me nearly a year now and has shown true strength and determination in her journey with a long-term illness.

It can be very hard to keep the head up all the time but she continuously shines and perseveres through every challenge she has faced."

Carol believes that the training has been a huge help in her recovery. She stated: "I find the sessions brilliant for both my physical and emotional wellbeing. I felt very vulnerable in the beginning but now I'm celebrating my progress which has been immensely rewarding. 

She added: "No matter how tired I am, I always get energy for the day ahead from the sessions so it's been a huge benefit for me."

Stephen says working with cancer patients has massively altered his own outlook on personal training. He acknowledged: "I see a different value in strength training now to be honest, It's not just getting in the gym wanting to have the physique of a bodybuilder all of a sudden, the benefits of it all across the board but especially in this field is phenomenal.

I've definitely seen a massive difference in the way I look at a gym and what it can be used for. It's hugely fulfilling to be able to watch clients who come in basically at their lowest point and then to then be bouncing in the door 10-12 weeks later, much happier, stronger and confident.

Stephen also mentioned how medical professionals who regularly deal with cancer patients have been complimentary of the service he's providing. "I would know a lot of people in oncology after my dad went through cancer a few years ago, I put the idea out to them and they thought it was fantastic."

He says his own experience with his dad's battle against cancer played a major role in getting involved to help others going through similar adversity.

Stephen reflected: "He did a lot of treatment, he's grand now and he's up, active and walking everyday but it was to get him doing that was the issue, he'll tell you himself that no matter how tired he is that walking brings him on for the next couple of hours in the day.

There's often days when you have to sit with it but it's massively beneficial to know that strength training and exercise helps to fight 99% of the symptoms."

Stephen says that despite running the business on his own, he has big plans for the future. "It's just me at the moment and it's very busy but I'm forward thinking and I do hope to see it growing in the next six months to have 2 or 3 people manning the app which will give me more time to dedicate to clients in person.

Ultimately, I would like to have Willowfit known across the board and I want everyone to see how much this can benefit them because people hear others say they're only going to the gym to build muscle or lose weight.

However, I want to get the word out and push this business which can help change people's outlook on strength training and realise it can be a medicine as well."

Speaking on what he can add to the business to help it thrive going forward. He said: "I would like to add different aspects such as wellbeing elements or maybe have someone come in to do massages for people that need lymphatic drainage and things like that to provide relief." 

He concluded: "I would also like to see myself possibly being in a hospital environment down the line and recommended and outsourced by medical professionals to carry out cancer specialist training with patients as part of their recovery."