What it means to be a Livestrong Coach
24 years ago I packed one little bag, stuffed what cash I had into a tiny pocket, said a few goodbyes, and from there I was off. Off to a new life, and on to what turned out to be an unexpected yet amazing journey. Even as a young kid I was drawn to the idea that it was my duty to make a concerted effort. An effort to begin installing my ideas and my vision. What I saw through my eyes was the world had problems, big issues. How was I going to tackle them? Me and me alone? One solitary eighteen year old girl with zero money and a ton of ambition? Well, for starters I said “NO” to complaining about it, and “YES” to the recruiter when he asked, “How do you feel about serving your country?”
So serve I did, eight years total, and then met the love of my life. He from California and me from New York, we collided in Florida and decided to stay. As we made our way and our family grew, we searched for a place of belonging. A place where our tots could learn water safety. A place where we could learn, grow, and be well together. As if by magic, the YMCA came calling. It was a brand we knew and were familiar with as we had seen the commercials.
Loving the Y and the mission it strived for, I knew that transitioning from member to employee just made sense. It was a perfect match. I really was home. My home now for 6 years. Within the walls of the Wellness Department, which really expands throughout the community, I can adequately continue my quest to positively change the world — typically reaching one member at a time.
On a larger scale, working as a Livestrong coach has allowed me to reach many participants at once. On a typical day, I meet people where they are in life right now. That can look like stroke recovery, post-partum, on a weight loss journey, or in cancer treatment. Our Livestrong members come representative of all of these experiences, and at times plus cancer thrown in. They are amazing fighters, often times banking on hope and faith to keep them in this world. And me. Little ole me, Wellness Coach at the Y. I provide the smiles, the laughter, the love, and the push they need to remind them that it can be great. The idea that this is just right now, and together we walk this journey for 12 weeks. You cannot help but fall in love with these people. What they don’t realize? They reward me far more than I can do for them.
My motivation is spawned by the ability to be a helping hand and guidance for a group of folks who are at a point of needing a reward. A trophy so to speak. Proof of battle. A battle they pray to win. I am honored that they chose me. ME, little ole me, as tour guide. As their guide, I cannot attest to being personally affected by cancer, but, I have lost too many that I love to it. I wasn’t able to get to them in time or guide them on their journey, and it saddens me. At least from this perspective, I can still do some good, in their honor.
I can honestly say, I am crying as I write this. Being a Livestrong coach is so much more than a job you clock into. Its reach is so far beyond what most anticipate in a normal work day. It touches my heart to know I can positively impact someone else’s. The word ‘coach’ in this situation is more than a word containing five letters. It means power — an amazing power that plays a role in another human being’s life. I choose to use it wisely, to create change. I lost my grandfather to cancer almost 2 years ago. It struck the family hard. The wound is still fresh; he left a hole. As a family, we cope not by filling that hole with new, but guarding its boundaries like security guards, making sure no one tries to sneak any impurities in there. We keep his memory alive but safe. He was the kind of guy everyone loved or aspired to be. It is my job to keep that fire going — to keep throwing the logs on, keep fighting for him.
With him in the front of my mind always, I extend that love to my participants. I even find recently I am stealing his jokes, and my Livestrong members roar with laughter, offering up the funny to me as repayment. A husband of one of my members said recently, “My wife is so strong now, she has the stamina to now drag me all over Walmart”. I took the blame for it, knowing he was insanely happy she was well, his wallet took the hit for her shopping trips.
My favorite part of all of this? Well, ALL of it. They take me along on their ride. The journey always proves to be exciting. You can expect laughter, tears, joy, sweat, and yes, loss. Some of our members come into the program knowing what can be. Although they fight through treatment, sadly, they lose the battle, one of many battles in this awful war. I attend many funerals these days. No, I could not save them — but I could love them for 12 weeks. It is a surreal concept to know that you are one of the last people they spend some of their last days with. A situation I cherish to be in.
My advice to those fighting, make sure your toolbox is filled. Fill it with the necessities of battle and the after. Fill it with weapons for defense, a strategy for offense. Utilize the amazing resources around you and gather your support team. Part of your team, Livestrong at the Y. We are here, we are waiting.
For Poppy, I love you man.
Keely Seymour
If you would like to learn more about the Livestrong at the YMCA program, or search for a location, visit: livestrongymca.org
What it means to be a Livestrong Coach was originally published in Livestrong Voices on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.