CORNWALL, Ontario – She’s 66 years old and only has one and a half lungs – but she can still run circles around you.
Elaine Heath has a message for those who might be on the other side of 60 (and others who are not) about the benefits of regular exercise and a positive attitude: “It saved my life.”
Heath, at about age 60, made the decision to begin a regular exercise regimen. She joined a gym, Caveman Strong in Cornwall, and took up the mantle of someone who put health first.
At the time she was a smoker, had not considered workouts in a gym setting, and got a real wakeup call from Caveman Strong owner Tyler Touchette.
“I gave it to her straight up,” he said in a social media post. “She said ok, ok, sure thing…and she stuck by her word.”
Did it ever. But things took a turn in the summer of 2014 when doctors found cancer in her right lung. About half of that lung had to be removed, and she began a recuperation that included chemotherapy and seven months away from the gym.
When she returned about a year ago she was understandably concerned about the road ahead. Turns out that road was just another place to train – metaphorically, of course.
“I didn’t think I would be able to breathe,” said Heath, who has also been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). “But that wasn’t an issue.”
Not even a little bit. Heath turned her diagnosis into a rallying cry that includes regular running – she completed five kilometres before heading to Caveman Strong Monday morning for more training and a newspaper interview.
“It’s what keeps me going,” she said. “This gym – it’s still a big part of my life.”
Tyler Touchette, owner of Caveman Strong, said the key to health is focusing on a drive forward.
“Life is movement, and movement is life,” he said. “She came when she could and left when she needed to. Months went by and she slowly started getting her ‘mojo’ back. Sure enough after many, many appointments with positive feedback she came to me a couple days ago…hugged me and said I’m all clear! Today she is better than ever and more determined than ever.
“No one has touched me so deeply in my career.”
