PEABODY — City residents Dave Bethune and Molly Foster are building a community of cancer survivors who are fighting back — figuratively and literally — by throwing punches at the heavy bag.
In the darkness of isolation and fears that affect everyone at one point in life or another, it’s a blessing to find a community of people who not only share similar feelings, but who are fighting the same battle that you are fighting.
“#%@! Cancer Fight Club” at DiHard Fitness in Peabody allows just that sense of a community, one Sunday a month, for cancer survivors and supporters to fight back.
“Cancer barged in the front door of my life unannounced and uninvited,” wrote founder of the club Bethune in his book “#%@! Cancer Fight Club: 10 Core Principles & Inspirational Messages to Fight Cancer.”
“It did not bring an appetizer. It did not bring a bottle of my favorite wine.”
Bethune had seven surgeries while undergoing cancer treatment for Stage 3 colorectal cancer, but even then, in the middle of chemotherapy, continued to go to the gym for short workouts.
“I refused to let cancer define who I was,” said Bethune. “My idea was that I needed to be as strong as I can.”
Along with continuing workouts in the gym while battling cancer, Bethune, a lifelong cyclist, participated in a 25-mile cycling event, “A Reason to Ride,” organized by one of the cancer fundraising organizations. He insisted on doing the event even though his wife, Maria, and oncologist Dr. Lauren Dias strongly advised against it due to his state of health and where he was in his treatment process.
“It is one of the craziest things I have ever done in my life,” said Bethune. “I ended up having to delay my chemotherapy for a week because my blood tests worsened.”
It was after that event that Bethune’s oncologist Dias, a clinician at Massachusetts General Hospital who also wrote the forward for Bethune’s book years later, said she understood him as a person.
But Bethune was terrified. He felt that he was fighting the hardest battle of his life, and that he was fighting it alone.
“You have this feeling of isolation and of being on an island,” he said.
And that is why after he recovered from his recurring cancer and participated in a boxing class at DiHard Fitness, he decided to create a community for the people who are finding themselves in the same situation.
He approached Foster, a longtime friend, Stage 4 breast-cancer survivor, and an instructor at DiHard Fitness, and communicated his idea of a cancer-survivor boxing class. Foster was on-board, and became the class instructor, while the owner of the premises, Diane Calver, allowed the facility to be used free of charge.
“We had our first meeting in April 2018, and we used to have it once a month before the pandemic,” Bethune said. “Five people showed up for our first class.”
What started as a small company of friends, now is a full-fledged club, typically with about 30 people participating in the class each month free of charge. Sunday, Feb. 27 had a record-breaking number of 41 participants.
“We didn’t even advertise it a whole lot,” said Bethune. “We just wanted to give people that sense of community.”
“It gives people an idea that they have control over it (cancer) by talking to other people who have similar life experiences,” said Foster.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the participants of the event were actively going through treatment. Right now, none of them are actively receiving treatment. They are either in remission, are considered cancer-free, or are people who have been affected by the disease in some way.
“My oncologist advised me to listen to my body, and do what I can do,” said Foster, who started to practice boxing while she was still in the recovery process. “There were days when I did workout, and there were days when I felt that I could not workout.”
There are different varieties of fitness levels and modifications available for the participants.
“The environment there is very welcoming,” said one of the participants Karen Richard, who frequented DiHard Fitness even before the class was created.
“When I was diagnosed with cancer, I imagined punching the tumor or the cancer,” said Richard.
That is why she liked the idea of the class so much.
“It’s just a really great atmosphere in that gym,” said one of the participants, Laurie Raposo.
Bethune said he wants people to feel inspired and empowered by the class.
“Maybe they can’t throw punches as hard as they want, but maybe even that will allow them to fight just a little bit harder,” he said.
“You always feel good after the class, because you are all fighting the same fight against this horrible disease,” said Richard.
Anyone interested is encouraged to participate. For more information and to find out dates for each class, follow @expletivecancer on Instagram. Dave Bethune’s book, “#%@! Cancer Fight Club: 10 Core Principles & Inspirational Messages to Fight Cancer” can be purchased on Amazon.
