Just a few months ago, Amy Jordan realized that she no longer needed to rely on modifications during Pilates class. Since being diagnosed with aggressive cervical cancer and undergoing grueling treatment just over two years ago, Jordan has slowly built up her strength in hopes that she will be able to. move her body as she once did.
«I really feel like I can do the workouts I used to do without breaks, without modification,» said Jordan, 47, founder and CEO of WundaBar, a Pilates studio in New York and in California, at TODAY.com. «It was November when I thought to myself, ‘Wait a second, I just took a course and I felt pretty much the same way I would have felt before cancer.’ And I was so grateful.
In 2020, Jordan was diagnosed with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix, a rare and aggressive type of cervical cancer. According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, about 100 out of 11,000 cases of cervical cancer will fall into the small or large types. The diagnosis meant she had to go through an intense treatment plan.
«My oncologist said, ‘It’s really rare and aggressive, and we have to put our all into it,'» Jordan told TODAY.com in December 2020. «‘We’re aiming for a cure’.»
After five months of treatment, which included 90 hours of chemotherapy, 25 days of radiation therapy and a radical hysterectomy, Jordan celebrated his cancer-free status with a photo showing his scars and a moving caption about the experience. Sometimes it seems surreal.
«When I look back at images or just reflect on experiences, it felt like it didn’t even happen almost like a twilight zone,» Jordan says. «I have this new filter, this new lens on how to look at life and what a gift it is to be able to show up and help people.»
During her treatment, Jordan was unable to teach Pilates as she once did and adapted quickly. She used body models to hold the poses that she couldn’t hold or even do, in some cases. Having a large abdominal scar meant doing a full roll-up—going from lying on the floor to sitting curled up—wasn’t smart.
«It wasn’t doable, and it wouldn’t be a smart move to make while you heal,» she says.
Having cancer and recovering from it taught her how to be a better teacher.
“This experience has given me a really intuitive way of working with people who have health issues, and it’s made me a better moving educator,” says Jordan. «It allows me to really meet people where they are and allow space and tweaks and shifts that move them without trying to keep up with others and really stay within the framework of your own skin while you move.»
It was during her recovery that she even developed a new tool to help her as a teacher and to help her students, the WundaCore Resistance Ring.
«It’s basically a fitness tool that replaces a trainer’s hand because during COVID, during cancer, I couldn’t get my hands on my clients to adjust their bodies and help them get the most out of their (workout),” she says. «It really gives you the feedback to get the most out of your exercises.»
People contacted Jordan about his cancer story, often saying that hearing about it helped them.
«They’ll come up to me and be like, ‘Oh my god, I watched your trip. I’m so inspired and it got me through XYZ,” says Jordan. “There is this ripple effect of how we can share and show ourselves with resilience so that others can also grow and understand the importance of resilience. And that’s my goal in sharing the story – to serve people with positivity, to serve others with a hope and an understanding that even if it sucks right now, keep moving forward. Just keep breathing.»
Jordan believes it is important to speak candidly about her experience with cervical cancer in order to raise awareness and encourage others to get screened regularly.
«There’s a pretty big void in honestly and openly discussing health crises, cancer, especially when it’s like cervical cancer or something that might be a bit tricky or a very private area and personal,» she said.
This article originally appeared on TODAY.com