A woman from Sheffield has set up an exercise class to help other cancer patients overcome the barriers to regaining their fitness.
Joanne Graham was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 and, following a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, also had her ovaries removed. She struggled to find a fitness class that she felt comfortable with.
Backed by the Weston Park Cancer Charity, the 51-year-old fitness instructor started her own sessions for patients at the Zest Community Centre in Upperthorpe.
She said: “I was nervous about rehabbing myself but when I looked into it, it wasn’t that easy to find someone qualified to do it and anybody available, so I decided to launch the course myself.”
Graham said: “I’ve been through it myself, so any questions that they’ve got, I’ve already been there.
“I’ve had the surgery, I understand the joint pains, the tablets, the medication…
“I know how difficult it is to get back to doing what you could do before.”