I first went to Green Prescription five years ago when I was very weak from having severe cancer treatment for a rare, aggressive type of breast cancer. Although the choice of Curves gym was not one of the discounted Green Prescription options, at the time that looked to me to be what I could manage. I spent almost four years at Curves, completing 500 workouts, before it closed last November due to a decline in membership because of COVID-19.

Again, about November 2020, I enquired if I was eligible for Green Prescription again, and to my delight I was. When I met with Tania Heap, she planted a seed in my mind when she suggested I do a variety of activities. I had been doing the same things repeatedly, walking and cycling daily, as well as going to Curves regularly and to senior strength and balance classes once, or sometimes twice a week. All those activities certainly helped but I still did not feel fit. I did not have a spring in my legs and was definitely lacking stamina. I know what feeling fit is from being one of the top tennis players in New Zealand in my day, ranked nationally #3 as a junior at age 18 and #9 as a senior at age 19.

For four decades I had not been able to play tennis again because of dropped metatarsal arches and planta fasciitis causing such pain in my feet that I developed hammer toes trying to relieve the pain but doing that caused corns to develop between some of my toes. My feet hurt in all sorts of ways and were “not fit for purpose”. Even an operation to straighten three toes did not alleviate the pain. So, going to Curves, gentle walking and biking was the best I could do, until….

A driver who should have stopped at a give-way sign, not only did she not stop, she did not even look to the right where I was biking towards the intersection. I was knocked off my bike in almost the centre of the road. The fall broke my wrist and badly broke the top of my tibia. That happened a week before lockdown. Surgery to mend the depressed fracture at the top of my tibia resulted in having a metal rod and plate with eight long screws fitted into my tibia and I was not allowed to weight bear on that leg for six weeks. Talk about being locked down!

I forgave the driver and looked for good things to come from the accident. There was nothing to gain by feeling bitter and twisted. I would have only felt worse. Being able to join Green Prescription again was one good thing, having Tania suggest I do a variety of exercises was another. ACC were very helpful with equipment, as well as contracting Sarah Kennedy, a really wonderful physiotherapist to me. She has made the world of difference to not just my leg, but my whole body, because after being laid up for so long without any weight bearing on that leg, my whole body got out of sync! I cannot thank her enough.

Perhaps even the best thing that happened while I was laid up was the way my feet muscles relaxed and gradually with help from Mark Burkill’s strength and balance exercises and the physiotherapist’s massages, my toes are no longer scrunched up, so that I do not have pain anymore. The corns and callouses stopped growing while I was not using my feet too, so it is like I have a new pair of feet! I am ever so thankful.

The next good thing was that I found that pickleball is played in Whangarei. I had read about it and really wanted to give it a go and I did. That was the start of wonderful improvement in my fitness. I bravely tested my leg by going to pickleball in December 2020. My leg stood the test and I knew that playing it gave me the best workout I had experienced for decades. I had not puffed and sweated so much since I don’t know when!  I had to push myself to sustain that amount of exercise for the whole two hours but each time I’ve played it has got easier to do. The scar tissue in my leg seemed to free up, I began building up muscle tissue and felt a new person.

Then a woman at pickleball invited me to play ladies’ tennis. That was a challenge and is an ongoing challenge. Compared to how well I used to play I am like a beginner and the frustration of knowing how to play so well in the past and not being able to even keep the ball in play most of the time now, is very testing. But the physicality of it is very good for me and I enjoy the company of other players. Again, I have to push through for it to get easier and more enjoyable. My tennis experience was always competitive, and it lasted for fifteen years, from the age of 10 to 25 when I stopped to raise a family. I never played social tennis like what I am trying to play now.

I am persevering at this challenge because I have been absolutely amazed at how much my fitness has improved by playing pickleball and tennis. As well, there is the social aspect, developing new friendships and not exercising all on my own anymore.

Because of my tennis background I had always tried to live a healthy lifestyle and it was surprising that I got cancer, but cancer is no respecter of persons. My oncologist was a wonderful person who guided me on what is best to eat to keep cancer at bay, for example lots of greens, no added sugar, plenty of water. My husband and family, with two of our children trained in medicine, one an anaesthetist and one a nurse, of course have been very helpful. During my time of chemotherapy, the anaesthetist had me stay at his place where there was a swimming pool. Swimming in it every day certainly kept me mobile, weak as I was. The other help I have had is prayer and support from Christian friends, as well as marvellous support from the people in our street.

I would say to anyone going through health issues or recovering from an accident, to keep active. It would have been so easy to have just stayed in bed, but I knew that the longer I lay around, the weaker I’d get, the more muscle wastage I’d have and the harder it would be to get moving again. The last five years have been a battle. I can’t say it has been easy, but you have to put in the effort in order to overcome health issues. Exercise is certainly the best thing.  Not only does it benefit the body, but also your soul and mind. Even just a little bit of movement for a start keeps you going. I thought I would build up strength far more quickly than I have, but if you look back to how you were a month ago, you usually see the difference. Progress is slow but steady and you have to be patient with yourself and not give up. Some days you feel as if you are not improving, or even going backwards but keep on keeping on towards better strength and stamina. It is well worth it. Life feels so much better when you have the strength and energy to do what lies ahead of you, whether it is work or play. 

Below is a photo of me playing tennis to show that getting fit again can be done. I still walk and ride my bike each day, and at least once a week I attend Mark’s strength and balance class as well as doing a workout at Kensington Fitness.