MIDDLETON, N.S. — Sandy Mollins-Murray’s gym is a place where everyone feels good in sweatpants.
Mollins-Murray, co-owner of Fitness for Life in Middleton, says it’s the place to get in shape in all stages of life. She, along with business partner Kelsey Lynn Nogler, strive to offer a casual atmosphere for people of all fitness levels.
Ann Redt turned to Fitness for Life when her life was nearing its end.
Redt’s introduction to the gym marked the beginning of a journey that has sparked a warrior spirit in others living with chronic illnesses.
“We met in the fall of 2018. This tall, thin lady walked in and told me that she had moved here from the city and was looking for a personal trainer,” she said. “Then she told me that she was in palliative care, but it was OK for her to workout, that working out always made her feel better.”
Mollins-Murray decided to approach the session very cautiously, as Redt’s balance was unsteady. By the end of the workout, she knew she had met a kindred spirit when Redt flexed her bicep and shouted, “Yeah!”
This was the beginning of a friendship that would challenge her as a fitness trainer and alter her perspective on quality of life and palliative care.
SIX MONTHS TO LIVE
“It sure changed my view of what I thought I would do if I found out I had six months to live,” said Mollins-Murray.
“When Ann showed up, a whole new world opened up for me.”
Back in Halifax, Redt’s personal trainer had given her the nickname Warrior Queen, partly for her grit during her first bout of cancer. Redt was a big Lady Gaga fan and would often exercise to “Marry The Night,” a song about a Warrior Queen who won’t allow the darkness to destroy her light.
When cancer returned and doctors told her she had six months to live, Redt and her husband sold their home in the city and moved into their cottage on a lake in rural Annapolis County.
Her story is one of personal triumphs and heartbreaking setbacks, according to Mollins-Murray.
“If I had gotten that news, I don’t know what I’d do. I always thought I’d stay in bed and eat chips,” she said. “But something inside me changed. I probably got more out of this than she did. Rather than go home and sit around waiting to die, she showed that you can live each day to the fullest.”
Mollins-Murray, who has been a nurse for 20 years, along with Jodi Joudrey, an occupational therapist, began working with Redt to develop a special program to help her feel empowered and maintain her vitality as long as possible.
“She came here at times when she could barely stand,” said Mollins- Murray.
Redt’s determination to keep going inspired others to keep going.
The workout session they developed for her eventually inspired a new fitness program for other people with chronic illness.
LEGACY AT WORK
After seeing Redt regain vitality with her exercise classes, Fitness for Life gained a new program, “Warrior Queens.” It was launched in Redt’s honour, with the aim of helping people with chronic illness.
The facility is fully wheelchair accessible, so they are able to accommodate people with walkers and wheelchairs.
Mollins-Murray says the class has grown to about 10 people. Ironically, the only thing that stops most of her class from getting there is transportation.
Tragically, Redt is not among the group. The 68-year-old passed away in December.
“She was here when she got the call,” said Mollins-Murray. “She apologized to me, saying she had to go and that she was sorry for wasting my time that morning. She was always thinking of other people. Dying didn’t bother her, but she was concerned for the loved ones she was leaving behind.”
In a special tribute to Redt, Mollins-Murray says that every Warrior Queen class ends with an optional group hug.
“Anne told me that people stop hugging you when you get sick. It’s as if people start to distance themselves,” she said. “Everyone needs a hug, and if someone is sick, hug them even longer.”
For more information on the Training for Life Fitness Centre and Warrior Queen classes, visit them on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/TrainingforLifewithsandyandkelsey/
