Manic Training Member’s Tough Decision Might Help Others
At Manic Training, we love the challenging workouts—or maybe it would be more accurate to say that we love to hate them—but this place is more than just a gym in Highlands Ranch you drop into a few times a week. There is a strong sense of community at Manic Training—as indicated by the many activities that take place outside of the gym.
It can be tough to get to know your fellow Manic Training members with any real depth in a 60-minute sweat fest. That’s one of the reasons coach Scott Jones and founder Pete Beuth started a series of podcasts. There is seemingly no end to the inspiration we can draw from our fellow athletes, and Lindsay Fitzgerald’s story, which is one of courage and bravery, is no exception. Be sure to listen to Scott’s podcast with Lindsay for the whole story—and read on for some highlights.
Falling Out of Fitness
Colorado native Lindsay has been with Manic Training for just over a year. If you are an “early up” member, you probably know her personally. This mother of three young children—ages 10, 7, and 4—wasn’t unlike plenty of other women who fall out fitness because they are busy taking care of a growing family. Although she had been involved in cross country and soccer during her formative years, Lindsay cites the “black hole of parenting” as the main reason she hadn’t been active in a while.
Stints at Orangetheory and Burn Bootcamp warmed her up for the Manic experience, which she says has gone a long way to get her back into shape.
But this is where Lindsay’s story takes a turn.
A Frightening Diagnosis
When Lindsay was just 23 years old, her mother was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. When her mother had testing done to find out if she carried the mutations of the two breast cancer susceptibility genes, and the results were positive, Lindsay decided to get tested as well. She learned that she too had these gene mutations, putting her at a high risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer in her lifetime.
In her twenties, Lindsay started getting annual mammograms and MRIs to ensure that if there was anything to see, it would be detected early.
This was around the same time she met her soon-to-be-husband Judd, and they talked about the ramifications of her BRCA+ results and what it might mean for her future.
A Difficult Decision
Last October, Lindsay underwent a preventive double mastectomy to greatly reduce her chances of developing breast cancer. She also had a reconstruction immediately afterward. This is a major surgery with a long recovery period, and a follow-up surgery was also needed a few months later to make cosmetic improvements to the area.
Lindsay has made huge strides with her recovery in the ensuing months—and greatly missed her “away” time when she couldn’t be at Manic Training. She admits, “I was in a funk,” stating that even cuddling with her kids was off limits during the initial healing process.
She has returned to her workouts—albeit with some modifications from the coaches along the way—and feels pretty close to having made a full recovery. In addition to working out at Manic Training, she and her husband also participated in Ragnar earlier this summer with the rest of the Manic athletes.
“Beast mode” is a term we fondly label our fellow athletes when they are powering through a Manic workout with particular strength. We think it’s safe to say that Lindsay has taken “beast mode” to another whole other level!
Are you interested in finding out what Manic Training is all about? Sign up here for your free week trial. There is no other gym in Highlands Ranch that offers the same kind of workout you’ll find at Manic Training. And the community is pretty special too!