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'How beating disease inspired me to become a personal trainer'

"Health is a privilege, not a given.

But we found something much deeper and rarer too: a clear sense of purpose. Meet our crew and help us decide who should be hailed this year's winner. Go to WomensHealthMag.com/NextFitnessStar to watch videos of the contestants and support your favorite between June 20 and August 4.

AGE: 30HOMETOWN: COLUMBUS, OH

MY WHY

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Health is a privilege, not a given. I'd always been active, but in college, I put on some weight that I wanted to lose. I kicked up the intensity of my workouts so much that when fatigue set in at age 23, I attributed it to my routine. That is, until I blacked out in a cycling class. When I finally saw a doctor, the news shocked me: I had Hodgkin's lymphoma, an immune-system cancer.

I fought hard to get healthy, but I had to learn how to be patient with my body. I know how it feels to battle mental and physical hurdles that are out of your control. It's what inspired me to become a trainer. Working out is about enduring discomfort. I fully believe that if you can survive the struggle in the gym, you'll be stronger outside of it too.

MY TRAINING M.O.

I teach classes live and online—for digital subscribers—at a studio called system of strength, which offers a ton of different class styles. The workouts vary from cardio to strength training to stretching, or all three.

MY TAKEAWAY TIPS

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Be proud of the now. Push out of your comfort zone, but not at the risk of beating yourself up. Think, I can do 10 frog jumps versus I can't do 20. If each week you can add only one more rep, that's worth celebrating too.

Strike a balance. Having been both sick and healthy, I know how easy it can be to fall into extremes with diet and exercise. But you need to embrace downtime. I take at least one rest day per week so my muscles can rebuild.

Blend your burn. Switch between loaded and body-weight exercises. Try a dumbbell squat to overhead press straight into skater jumps. The body-weight move will feel easier, so you can push harder and burn more cals.

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