Blog by Jon Keating, Head of Operations, GM Active
In a highly personal and emotional reflection on losing his mum Judith (Judy) to cancer, GM Active Head of Business Operations, Jon Keating, is left with some burning ‘what if’ questions – and calls for the selflessness required if we as a sector are going to help others with any long-term or life-threatening health condition.
It’s been a tough first six months of 2024. My mum lost her battle to cancer in late January, and it’s been a real struggle to find my feet and a new normal.
What was frightening was the speed with which the cancer took hold.
Mum – a big Corrie fan pictured here with me at the Rovers Return – had initially survived breast cancer after it was first diagnosed in 2019 (going through cancer treatment during the pandemic was especially tough for Mum and for Dad supporting her).
This was secondary cancer (undetected) that spread rapidly through her body. As you can imagine, I’ve been through the full gamut of emotions and continue to do so, with much anger and asking why?
Mum maintained positivity right to the end, even talking publicly at an event at Leicester Tigers’ ground about cancer care to help others.
It’s that level of selflessness that we must show if we as a sector are going to help others across Greater Manchester with any long-term or life-threatening health condition.
That brings me to wonder whether Prehab4Cancer would have helped Mum’s chances of survival?
My parents live in Leicestershire not Greater Manchester, so the prehab programme wasn’t available.
That said, breast cancer, as things stand, isn’t part of the prehab pathway in GM either. So, the ‘what if’ question burns brightly in my head. What if prehab was available in all regions? What if prehab was available for all cancer types?
As I supported Dad sorting through her things, I’ve found fitness equipment, nutrition, diet, wellness books and
much more besides. So whilst a prehab service wasn’t available, the right advice and recommendations clearly were
However, lots of this ‘stuff’ was still brand new. Mum was never what you would call an active person, caring far too much about others and her family – three children who all swam competitively.
She saw us frequenting leisure centres and pools and even worked at a pool/leisure centre for many years, and yet physical activity still didn’t resonate or matter to her as it should have.
This brings me to our Active Academic Partnership (AAP) research with Keele University. Physical activity and exercise has to matter to the individual. But when it doesn’t? Greater minds than mine are working hard to find answers.
As a sector, any language and behaviour change clearly hasn’t engaged Mum and spurred her into action and neither did I, either as a swimmer or working in our industry.
So, how do we change those mindsets?
Looking back to 2019 when Mum was first diagnosed, this was a catalyst to start lots of activity, mainly walking and some tai-chi. Was this too little, too late? As I say, the ‘what if’ questions continue to burn.
Strength training, higher intensity activity were absent for Mum. Yet we know from prehab and well documented research that this is really important. How do we land those messages? How do we raise that awareness to hopefully reduce cancer risks and help fight against it?
Looking back to 2019 when Mum was first diagnosed, this was a catalyst to start lots of activity, mainly walking and some tai-chi. Was this too little, too late? As I say, the ‘what if’ questions continue to burn.
Strength training, higher intensity activity were absent for Mum. Yet we know from prehab and well documented research that this is really important. How do we land those messages? How do we raise that awareness to hopefully reduce cancer risks and help fight against it?
Whilst it’s too late for my mum, I hope the lessons I’ve learnt can continue to support the growth of prehab for all cancers not just in Greater Manchester but nationally and internationally.
In fact, my commitment to my dying mum was to endeavour to do my bit in making this happen.
This is my call to the sector and the system for this to happen. Let’s do this in memory of everyone who has suffered the loss of loved ones to cancer.
The repercussions of losing a loved one are devastating – and there’s more work to be done in this space too.
Let’s take my dad as an example.
Dad was a rock for Mum from the first diagnosis right through to her final breath. Married for 50 years, together for 54 through thick and thin, he has been left devastated, heartbroken (as we all have) and importantly very lonely.
Physical activity groups are helping him through this really tough time. In particular golf, walking football and walking groups. Of course, there are important physical benefits, but the mental health benefits, and vitally the social support network, within these groups and clubs are invaluable at this time.
But an interesting observation is that my dad copes better Mondays to Fridays than at weekends. Why?
Well, many of these groups and activities focus on midweek activities – hence a limited social support network on a Saturday and Sunday, which by his own admission, is making weekends feel extremely long.
This is something else we should be considering more as a sector.
And finally, I’d also like to flag the personal impact on my own health and wellness during this period. Back in December 2023, I used a boditrax machine and was delighted that I had a metabolic age of 30 at the actual age of 45.
Fast forward six months; less gym, less running, less swimming but still lots of walking. Frighteningly, using the same machine, I recorded a metabolic age of 43.
OK, I’ve since turned 46, but regardless, that swing in a relatively short space of time shocked me to the core.
I’m back on it again now and confident I will bring this back down again, but that personal impact is one that many aren’t even aware of.
Such consoles and the fantastic model Technogym has just launched shouldn’t be exclusive to gym members.
We need them in reception areas, or even better still in community settings for everyone to access; to help everyone understand the impact that a lack of activity or the right types of activity can have on their personal health and wellbeing.
I’ll finish with another ‘what if’. If Mum or others like her had had access to such equipment and the reports it can produce, would this have made a difference?
