FRÉDÉRIQUE'S FIGHT
Midtown members know that staying fit is hard work! The dark, early winter mornings, the sacrifices, the pain… But according to our Member of the Month, working up a sweat is small potatoes compared to staying put!
Frédérique Latraverse has been a Midtown member since September 2013. As a runner (and proud loner), Frédérique would mostly work out on the track and the treadmill, preparing for her first half marathon. But just as she was stepping it up a notch for the big event, Frédérique was diagnosed with breast cancer and was forced to call it quits.
“From August 7, 2015, to April 5, 2016, dealing with chemo and its adverse effects, and concentrating on getting well was just about all I could manage. It was hard to see all my hard work go up into smoke, but with help from my partner (Marc), my two children (Charlotte and Alexis), my sisters, and my friends, I fought back, and ultimately, I won!”
Frédérique is back in the gym now, working hard to get back to where she left off. Instead of going about it alone though, she now takes the occasional Pilates class and has even taken on our own Stéphane Goyette as a personal trainer. “Stéphane and his eerie ability to make you aware of muscles you didn’t even know existed have introduced me to a more global approach to fitness. And it works! Guess who ran 10K last May 28!”
Frédérique, the whole team at Midtown would like to congratulate you for staying strong and being so brave in the face of adversity. Thanks for being so open about your experience and for reminding us just how lucky we are to be healthy!
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Frédérique’s daughter, Charlotte, is the one who first approached me about training her mother. Having lost both parents to cancer myself, I said yes on the spot.
When I met Frédérique, I could tell right then and there that she was a warrior. Nothing short of an athlete’s training would do, even though I would have to take her physical (muscular) needs and her daily and weekly energy level into consideration.
Frédérique is a force to be reckoned with! Every week, she shows remarkable improvement. I could not be more proud of her! Every time I ask her how she’s been, I’m reminded of how understated the answer to that question really is. I swear, every time we meet, the pleasure is all mine :)
Congratulations, Champ!