"All of us here want everyone at Queensland X-Ray to know how truly thankful we are for funding this program. It has been truly life-changing."
It is not often that one gets the opportunity to witness firsthand the impact that corporate support has on a charity and the individuals it supports. A recent visit to Blush Cancer Care Inc. and the FitLab Fight Back With Fitness (FBWF) program, where Queensland X-Ray presented its annual corporate donation, highlighted the life-changing effects of this contribution.
Queensland X-Ray has supported the Toowoomba-based Blush Cancer Care since 2017. Our annual donation contributes towards the running costs of the FBWF program for participants who have just undergone treatment for breast cancer, with many waiting for the next stage of treatment to begin, such as a single or double mastectomy. Additionally, participants receive two complimentary DEXA scans at the beginning and end of the program to monitor changes in their body composition.
The FBWF program runs from February to November, coordinated by FitLab. It operates three times a week in ten-week increments, four times a year. The Queensland X-Ray donation finances one ten-week block for each participant. Blush and FitLab have successfully integrated their programs. They are running a continuous pilot from July to the end of November, allowing participants to join at any time without waiting for the next block to start.
Naomi Vogler, an Exercise Physiologist at FitLab, witnesses daily the positive impact of the program on women attending the classes.
"Research shows that exercise programs not only improve survival rates but also enhance physical and mental wellbeing," Naomi explains. "I see this daily with the groups that come through."
She shares a remarkable story: "I've had participants who began at FitLab struggling to walk just five meters. By the end of the program, not only are they walking further distances, they are also lifting weights over 25 kilograms—all with smiles on their faces."
Blush Cancer Care Nurse Gaye emphasises the necessity of the program in the region.
"Since 2018, a total of 200 ladies have participated in both FBWF and B Active (the program they do while having active treatment), and this number keeps increasing. For many, this program is their lifeline for both fitness and mental well-being."
However, while the positive physical impact of the QXR-funded program is notable, it is the flow-on effect on mental health and overall wellbeing that is having a greater impact.
Prue and Heather are two examples of how the FitLab program is about more than regaining physical health and addressing the side effects of treatment. Both offer up big smiles when recounting the first time they bumped into each other at the FitLab Gym.
"We are both originally from the same region in Queensland and knew of each other," Heather recalls. "But life happens, you grow up, move away — and in Prue's case, overseas. I attended my first day at FitLab not knowing anyone in Toowoomba. Then I saw someone I thought I recognised, and it turned out to be Prue. Just having someone familiar helped me get through those first weeks."
Prue, too, ponders the workings of 'kismet' and how some things are just meant to be. "Who knows, maybe the fact that we both needed treatment and ended up at FitLab was serendipity — reconnecting us to support each other in a town where we were both strangers."
"The funding from Queensland X-Ray has been a godsend, positively transforming our lives. It's comforting to attend class and know that we can discuss our experiences, especially when we sometimes feel like a burden to our families. Having that extra support from someone who's been through a similar situation is life-changing," Prue concludes.
"Life-changing" and "deep gratitude" are common themes among the ladies who attended that session on the day Queensland X-Ray visited. All were thankful that corporate support from the company helps the program grow and continue, not only for them but also for those who will follow in their footsteps.
When mental health was discussed, everyone agreed that the program's positive aspects extend beyond the physical.
"We often meet for coffee after sessions, and we even meet on days without fitness classes. The emotional support from each other has been life-changing for our mental health," Katherine says.
Naomi echoes this sentiment. "The sense of community that has formed through this program is fantastic. I often see women enjoying coffee together after a fitness session, and then I'll see them again later in the day, having extended their coffee catch-up to lunch.
"I'm frequently seeing them out shopping together, which is heart warming to witness. The friendships and support networks formed here will last long after their treatment ends."