Breast cancer recoverer finally does half marathon

5 years ago I was training to do a Half Ironman” said Connie Zein, “one month before the marathon I was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, I was flooded with an over-abundance of reading material but the one pamphlet that stood out for me, was the YWCA Encore Programme. It was the only one at that time advocating any sort of exercise program.”

The YWCA Encore programme incorporates gentle exercise, healthy lifestyle information, relaxation and peer support. Based around pool and floor exercises and relaxation techniques, Encore is fun, therapeutic and free! The programme has proven to have benefits for all women who have undergone surgery, whether it was 10 weeks or 10 years ago.

“The YWCA Encore programme isn’t just exercise, important as that is to women as they battle cancer,” says Connie Zein one of the South Auckland Coordinators, “it is the camaraderie and the ability to talk about the whole breast cancer experience that is one of the hallmarks of the programme.”

Classes are run for 2 hours every week for eight weeks, with a maximum of 14 women each programme. There is a significant demand for Encore as it fills a gap in post-surgery support.

“I found the program so beneficial, that I jumped at the opportunity to be part of the first trainer program in January 2006,” says Connie. “I am now one of the Co-ordinators for the South Auckland Area and I’m proud to say that last December I finally completed my first Half Ironman in Taupo!”

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