Nobody told me XYZ was gonna happen. So they tell
you up front with chemo. Oh, you might feel sick.
You might be extra tired. You might be bald. Nobody
tells you that your eyes may change colors or that
your fingernails may rod out while on your hands and
stink to high hell. Nobody's told me any of those
things. So as the accumulation of side effects became the
size of a mountain, I CA I, it turned humorous.
You know, it was one of those things where I
thought, Holy crap, this is so fun.
Hi, and welcome to Podcaster. Stories each episode. We will
have a conversation with podcasters from across the globe and
share their story. What motivates them by the start to
the show are the crucial. And More, we'll also talk
about their personal lives in some of the things that
have happened that made them, the person who you are
to do. And now here's your host. Danny Brown hi,
and welcome to Podcaster. Stories where we get to meet
the people behind the voices of the show. As we
all listen to him this week, I'm talking with Fitz
Koehler host The Fitzness The Fitzness shop, where Fitz talks
about the smart, crazy, effective, and fun stuff in fitness
Fitz is also an offer and TV personality and has
an incredible story to share with you will speak about
it in the show.
So Fitz, welcome to Podcaster Stories, really appreciate you coming
on. How about you? Tell us about yourself and your
show.
Sure. Well thank you, Danny. Thank you for having me.
So I'm a fitness expert. And what I do is
basically I do a variety of things that helped me
do one very specific thing, which is helpful live better
and longer by making fitness, understandable, attainable, and find. And
so I've done that for decades on TV, radio books,
magazines. Anyway, I could reach a mass audience is where
I focus my efforts. I do a lot of corporate
speaking engagements and spokesperson work because corporations bring people and
that's what I want. I want people to help. I
also am a professional race announcer So I host to
start and finish lines of some of the largest, most
prestigious running events in America from the Los Angeles marathon,
Buffalo marathon, Philadelphia, a big Sur.
I announced the D C wonder woman and Batman run
series. So I am once again, handling mass audiences and
helping them achieve their goals within sports and celebrate those
goals as well. I own a youth running a program
called The Morning Mile and I'm also an author and
I have a brand new book out called My Noisy
Cancer Comeback.
Wow. So you get busy.
I like to stay as busy as possible because man,
do I love what I do? You know, that a
moment when I'm not working on lesson with my kids,
it's a moment that I want to be working or
with my kids. So, yeah.
And, and you mentioned obviously the podcast that speaks about
the, the fun stuff in fitness and not just the,
obviously a bit talks about the fitness goals and plans,
et cetera, but I know you make up a fun,
you know, endeavor much like you do with your offline,
you know, a fitness programs, et cetera. So how did
he do the idea of the show come about?
You know, I only, I only put information out there
when I have something to say, and I do enjoy
the medium of writing. You know, people like to read
articles their, their, their evergreen forever, or people can go
back and review, but there's something special about being able
to put a personal touch on the communication, whether it's
the inflection of your voice or a pounding your fists
on a desk. You know, I think you have video
and audio provide just a lot more exciting and understandable
version of communication. So I started the Fitzness show back
in 2016. So far we've recorded over a hundred episodes
in there and they ranged. So I get into the
nitty-gritty nuts and bolts of fitness, you know, how to
become, fit, how to achieve your ideal weight with the
exact formula for weight loss, how why, and how to
pursue strength training.
And even within that niche, how to pursue it within
certain sports. And then we talk a lot about really
cool products for athletes and, and folks are just getting
started with a fitness and we've talked to fitness celebrities
and athletes and coaches, and you know, anything that makes
people a, a little more motivated. You know, I, I
do understand that even while I have tons of incredible
answers, I'm not the only person with an answer. So
it's nice to speak to other people who have some
golden nuggets to share.
And you had mentioned, obviously you're working with a lot
of people, you were celebrities, movie stars you've even worked
with the wiggles, which is cool. Cause that was one
of my kids at my book. My kids loved that
show a growing up. And I think we took them
to like a live performance and Toronto, maybe two or
three years back. So what, what's it like? I mean,
obviously you share some horror stories about working with them,
some mistakes that you've made, maybe when you were working
with them, what's that like, you know, working with people
like that,
Do you know what I'm not starstruck? The only thing
that's ever left me a little bit excited and giddy
has been American presidents, some American president. So I'm a
raging fan of my country. And so American presidents have
really floated my boat when it comes to celebrities. I'm
not Google crazy. So I'm able to just greet them
casually and, you know, obviously respect what they do and
the list of people I've interviewed includes Brooke shields and
Christina Applegate and, you know, tons of Olympians, tons of
athletes, ah, the crew for me, ESPN to so many
actors, I really couldn't even pull them up the wiggles.
I got to tell you out of all of the
people that I have now, I have, I have interviewed
the wiggles when I met them for the first time
in Chicago. And I probably worked with the wiggles almost
a dozen times now over the years, but they were
coming in off of their tour bus into the arena
where I was going to interview them on video before
the show and the purple Jeff wiggle. He walked by
and that's the first time of the celebrity. I got
a little like, woo. I felt, I felt like I
shouldn't be seeing this. It was almost like peeking in
on Santa Claus. So they were very cute, very sweet.
They came out one by one and we did a
little workouts together and talked about their healthy habits. And
it was just adorable.
There, there was so much fun, you know, celebrities, just
regular people. There's that book called everybody poops. And I
truly believe that, you know, and there's nobody that's truly
better than the others, but you know, their careers quite
often in real rely on there, physique, you know, Brad,
Pitt's, wouldn't be Brad Pitt or if he was out
of shape. So there is a unique burden on certain
types of actors and performers to be in great shape
and maintain beauty regimens above what you are or I
have to do. And so I really enjoy the fact
that when I work with celebrities, usually they tell a
really good tale.
They say, I used to do really dumb diets and
gimmicky things. And I found out that it doesn't work.
And so I've committed to exercising often and watching what
I put in my mouth. And so my purpose with
working with celebrities is often for them to tell the
tale that resonates with people, because there are their career
relies on them being fit or being the most beautiful
version of themselves. And, you know, even with my master's
grain exercise for the sciences in all of my years
of experiences. And so I got on a stage with
beyond say, And someone in the audience wanted to know
how to get a fantastic rear end.
They would ask her not me. And so, you know,
it's and I used celebrity's as a tool. I use
them as a tool in quite often, they're very effective.
And obviously, I mean, you mentioned that you worked with,
you know, various celebrates for years. Have you seen that?
There's a huge disconnect between male and female movie stars
are still, there is more pressure on women to look
a certain way to, to wear a certain way or
to have a certain, you know, body index, et cetera.
Is that the case when, when the celebrities come to
you and do you try to help them overcome that?
Or is that it never really come up?
Pressure is doled out. Eve equally. And you know, a
lot of people want to waive the women quite often.
Are you or anyone in these little subgroups? We liked
the way the, the pity party PFLAG and where are
the victims and so forth. But no, I see pressure
equally doled out on men. I mean, a Chris Hemsworth
for crying out loud, he is, he doesn't get to
be thorough other than the last Avengers. You know, he
doesn't get to be that guy without abs. And I
do think there's a tremendous amount of pressure on men
as well. They're hitting the gym hard. They have to
watch what they put in the mouth in. Some of
us have seen more men and women have to do
those dramatic weight fluctuations. Remember Tom Hanks in Philadelphia.
Oh. And cast away Matthew McConaughey. He's done it. There's
been so many actors go up and down. So yeah,
I think actually it is, it's possibly in some regard
easier to be a woman, but I, I feel bad
for you guys. They get it too, for certain things.
It's funny. I just read a story about Daniel Crick
with a new bond movie coming out in the us
as his last breath out in a James Bond. And
he's 53, you know? So the regime he went through
for this movie is it actually is 15 years ago.
It was completely different. It had to be, as you
mentioned, a toner to his age, his, his fitness, his
body, et cetera. So it just, it's interesting to hear,
as you mentioned, the different things everybody has to go
through for their role needs.
Well, you know, it's interesting with fitness and coming out
of my recent Cancer battle, my, my rule with fitness,
it's always first do no harm. And we hear doctors
have that mantra where, you know, they can injure or
cause harm to the patients. But I do think with
fitness, that's the first priority as well. You shouldn't do
something that's going to hurt you, you know, and if
you make smart progress, if you pursue baby steps, you
can get to your end goal. Even the same goal
you had when you were 20 years younger, if you're
smart about it. And I'm sure Daniel Craig, this is,
is really keen to the fact that he may throw
out his back more easily now than he did before
he can still achieve those extraordinary results.
But you just can't be reckless in the process.
Nope. Did you had mentioned also that you've got various
guests on the podcast and then some of the episodes
I was laughing at, as opposed to listen to your
Show are the ones who have done when your daughter
Topics you have done with your daughter or your daughter's
teenager. And you're talking about a book from the fifties
and how do we get a husband? And I have
a follow-up episode to that. What's it like record on
a show of your doctor and how did that come
about?
Oh, that's hilarious. Ginger is 17. And you know, what
I learned really early on is she has my exact
same skillset as a presenter and a, we call her
Fitz 2.0, the new and improved version. She's just, she's
more beautiful than I am. She's she got on a
stage and her first grade play. And when she wasn't
cowshed, all she had to do is read. Maybe three
sentences are from memory. And she stood, stood on this
stage with this extraordinary posture and , and she was
the only kid out of a, 150 of them that
spoke clearly and concisely. And it was beautiful.
And I thought, wow, she is incredible. And, and so
she will go on to be a pro presenter as
well. And she had done race announcing with me, but
she just really funny person. So I saw that article.
It was from, I think it was McCall's in 1950
something, how to get a husband. And it was outlandish
some of the suggestions where, you know, go by the
engineering department out of college and paint a picture. So
the will come and want to meet you. And then
one of them, one of the suggestions was go stand
in a corner and cry, but certainly some guy will
come and, you know, wanting to comfort you and you
may get a husband. So I, I just thought it
would be a lot more funny to bring her in
on the subject.
And then of course the follow-up was the modern day,
2020, how to get a man or how to be
sexy. I think. So it was very, very funny. I
try to keep it very wholesome and clean, and I
think we, we achieve that, but she's hilarious. And you
know, I'm, I'm not opposed to any guests, if they
are going to make my podcast more interesting or exciting
and humorous.
Oh, it's like, I can imagine when we see how
much, you know, society has changed over the last years.
And we always started to look back and I mean,
I can still remember when you were allowed to smoke
on an airplane, for example. And there was a separate
smoking section. 'cause obviously a little current would make all
the difference in a plane with smoking. So it does,
it's funny to see the examples you shared with me,
you know, how a woman should behave and get a
husband because that's her on the road and a life
basically. Right?
Hysterical. Yeah. I mean, I just, through the years and
even between this year and the last year, you know,
if I walk out in my house without a mask
on, people think I'm a gangster. They were like, look
at her. What does she think she is? Show in
her mouth. So, you know what I mean? It just,
I don't know where the world has gone crazy lately,
but, but yeah, things are definitely different in which you
read an article like that. And I understand why there's
a disconnect sometimes between the way my mom did business
and the way she wanted me to do business, because
I thought, well, clearly that some of those guidelines are
out of place. In fact, she used to tell me,
never call the boy. You can even call it a
boy back if he called you first.
So you were just not allowed to dial the boys
number. And so there's a part of me that still
thinks, you know, ginger, don't go pursuing guys. Don't do
that. Don't but I do believe you should be able
to return a phone call. So I don't know, I
kinda like some of the old fashion stuff. And then
some of that obviously needs to be left behind way
behind in the dust.
They're all saying we won't have to become, parents were
always to where I'm not gonna do the things that
my parents' did with my cousin. And we do, you
know, you stop yourself because you have done exactly the
same way.
Now, let me ask you this. Do you look back
and wish your parent's had to intervene when they didn't?
Maybe sometimes that was just a couple of things. When
I was maybe a younger man that I did stuff
that wasn't so good that I had my parents center
or a vendor given me like a stronger moral compass.
If you like, it would've been a whole different story.
So, but I think if you grow as a person
by making mistakes right. And learning from him. So I
think this whole helicopter parent that's for me, one of
the more dangerous for one of the battle of work
aspects of Parenthood at the moment and not allowing your
kids to much of it.
Yeah. Yeah. It's a fine line. I really, my kids
are so good and I just caught my husband. Oh,
not my husband, my son getting into a little mission
last week. And I was terrified him. I gave them
this really abrasive, like get in the car now. And
he, the look of shock on this six foot one
boy, you know, he was like, Oh know, and I
laid it on things just to scare him, just to
let them know how serious it was. And then I
didn't lay on. And it's a tremendous punishment. I think
I gave him the assignment. If you know, you're going
to clean these five rooms and if you ever do
that again, then, then I'm going to drop the hammer.
So I do believe in, you know, some mischief, but
the thing that my daughter and I get into a,
she, she wears just really stupid stuff sometimes is that
it really is an unflattering.
And so I look back and I think about all
the terrible clothes I wore and how I wish my
mother would have stopped me from leaving the house, looking
like a moron. And now I'd try to pay that
forward with gender and say, Oh, those jeans are kind
of where they don't, they don't fit you. You're so
beautiful. These are really unflattering. No mom, they are cool.
So when I back off and so, you know, quite
often I just let her walk out of the house
looking like a bozo, but she has got to make
that mistake too. Right.
Yeah know. And then you'd mentioned off, so you've got
two kids, you got to change or your daughter and
your son. And you've talked about the program that you've
come up with a The Morning Mile program, where you
get kids involved across the us, Canada and Japan with
mine and routines and fitness. How did that come about?
And what's the, the impact in like, what's the feedback
you've been getting for that? Cause I've been, that's been
going for a few years now. 11, 11 years. Yeah.
So when my kids were little three and five, my
daughter started kindergarten and some of her friends went to
different schools and the moms kept telling me, Oh, Aiden
is running before school. Aden is running that at all.
And I kept thinking, wow, I wish ginger could do
that. That sounds great. I wish my kids could do
that. And I had a few parents that kept bragging
about this and Ben My, you know, fitness innovator, a
light bulb went off and I thought, you know what?
I don't just wish my own kids could do this.
I wish all kids could do this. This is really
quite the solution for a health and fitness. You know,
it's a mindless activity, walking or running requires very little
skill, little to no equipment.
These many of my Morning milers are out there in
boots and sandals who cares or just, you know, moving.
So when I decided that I wanted all kids to
do that, I went to the various schools that had
before school walking, running programs and said, Hey, can you
tell me what you're doing? I would like to create
something duplicatable. And so they shared their best practices. I
took some of theirs. I added some of my own,
and I created this turn-key program, which is any school
can implement. It's 30 minutes before school walking or running.
There is no coaching choreography or instruction whatsoever. It's just
literally you let everyone come out and do loops, whether
they're students or family, faculty.
And then we make it really fun, really welcoming, really
rewarding. We have music playing. We have a great system
of rewards and my Morning milers are they blow our
mind. So we have individual elementary students that complete six
or 700 miles per school year. We have small elementary
schools or middle schools completing over 20,000 miles for school
year and a yeah, it's funded by corporations. So, you
know, schools don't often have money to put into fitness.
They're too worried about math and science. And I get
that. So we have allowed the corporate corporate world to
invest in the schools and the, and the students.
And in return, we allow them to market their business
on the field with a big banner. You know, it
could be Bob's plumbing or, you know, ABC hospital or
Aquafina a water company. It doesn't matter to me as
long as it's a wholesome family-friendly product, we're happy to
share their banner. And yeah. So in The Morning Mile
is in over 400 schools worldwide. My kids have completed
millions and millions of miles is actually kind of stopped
keeping track. I just couldn't keep up with it anymore.
And yeah, I feel like these kids, and not only
have a better start on life and I have a
habit that they can continue into their nineties for certain,
because anyone is, as long as you are able to
walk, you can get up and go for a walk
around in your house, your block, your neighborhood, whatever And
I I believe soon we'll be seeing an Olympian say,
you know, I've got my start back in elementary school
doing this program called The Morning Mile.
And I think we'll see the same for CEOs of
major organizations are just really teaching these kids consistency, discipline,
attaining goals, and having fun, being healthy. And that's it.
I love the fact that it's not structured. It's, you
know, the kids or the parents of the faculty just
gets it out and it does a Walker or On
or whatever. I always called them up. When my kids
are on a bus, I'm just saying that you have
to run and their sillies out to the house to
get out. And that, but as you mentioned, it belts
habits. And I don't know if you've read James Clear's
book, atomic habits. I had asked them and it points
to your very point now at a punch to your
point had a box and it can't get completely glues
with the point where it's about building habits to achieve
goals, as opposed to setting goals and not reaching them.
Cause you don't have the habit to attain that. So,
and especially with kids because kids, you know, their, their
minds are all over the place.
It can be a here, here, here, here, or at
school, but to get habits early on an easy, a
ti attainable habits, is that
Awesome? Absolutely. And you know what, like you said, it
gets their youthful energy out. Are there sillies out? And
when they show up to class, there are settled. There
are a lot calmer or they're ready to learn. They
behave better. There's so many benefits. Principals reach out and
say, ah, where you have slashed our problem with tardiness
because the kids want to be there at The Morning
Mile. So they naturally arrive at class on time. We
give out far fewer referrals and punishments because our kids
are far better behaved because they've got that energy out.
And then the teacher, you know, I I've been hit
with hugs and it felt like I was being tackled
by a, an American football player because teachers are saying,
Oh my God, my third grade boys are sitting still,
thank you so much.
So it really is beneficial and so many ways. And
not just for kids, I know as a grownup in
society, whether I'm working or being a parent an early
morning workout, just kind of expels any stress I have.
And it gives me that a long time to think
if I'm swimming and there's absolutely nothing to think about
are nothing to entertain me. But the bottom of the
pool, I certainly am focusing on my next step as
a professional speaker or new topics to talk about with
my podcast. So yeah. Exercise goes a long way from
the beginning to the end of your life. If it
matters,
You know, you'd mentioned earlier you, how about your cancer
or your recent cancer journey and that, that happened in
2018? I think, I mean, obviously you'd been busy with
fitness programs and TV and the podcast, and then you
get diagnosed with breast cancer. So what, what was it
from being a composer? A silly question probably. But what
was that like? And what was it at a time
when you were thinking, I can't do the things that
I've been doing up to now. I won't be able
to do this moving forward.
So great questions. And I, you know, as I was
diagnosed, I thought for certain I'm dying, you know, I,
I have I'm I'm the ultimate optimist, but I couldn't
use that at that point in the second I found
the lump and then the doctor said, yeah, we see
that. And three hard swollen lymph nodes. I thought, Oh
my gosh, this thing has taken me out. Cause I
had had a clean mammogram less than seven weeks prior
and clean mammogram and then six and a half weeks
later, I found the lump. So, you know, I had
to get passed the death and not see my kids
grow up. You know, that was basically the, the laser
focus. But then once I got my feet underneath me
in my doctors convinced me that the types of breast
cancer I have is curable.
In fact, 94% of all breast cancers are curable that
I, I instantly decided, well, I am not letting this
disease a win. Not that there were points to give.
Not only was I not only had I intended to
survive, but my career is extraordinary. It's one of my
driving forces for every breath I take. So I decided
I am not missing out on any of my work
obligations. North quality time with my children. So if I
would have taken a year and a half off, absolutely
nobody would've blamed me. They would of said, well, of
course you are going through this nightmare treatment, stay home,
stay in bed. But for me, I just decided, hell
no, I am getting to work.
I'm doing what I do. And what I do predominantly
is I travel 35, 40 weekends of the year across
America and announcing races. And my smallest event has 2,500
athletes. My largest has about 35,000 and I just decided
I'm not missing it. I'm going to figure it out.
And I did. So I, I actually made a video
declaring, you know, I had to share with people, I
have breast cancer and I, I didn't wanna share it.
I'm a private person when it comes to my actual
personal life. But knowing that I was gonna go from
two feet of hair, I had waist length, one hair,
two bald. I figured people are going to start asking
questions.
So I better let them know. And so I make
this video and it's very cute. Its still on. Fitzness
both on my website and in my Facebook page, but
I look back and I think, gosh, I was so
naive, but I was so determined. Because I look in
the camera and say, listen, this is what I got.
I'm going to be fine. I am going to probably
feel a little bad. I'm going to look kind of
weird, but I will not miss my races. I will
not miss any of the events on my calendar. I
expect no pity. You can root for me, but that's
it and onward. And so I didn't know what I
was in for it. It turned out that I got
hit when they gave me the most toxic combination of
chemo drugs. There are, I responded accordingly being violently ill
for five months and then 10 months more of a
lesser chemo.
I had the surgery and I had the radiation, but
I never missed an event. And a, it was, it
was awesome. You know, it was really, really hard, but
looking back, I'm really proud of myself.
So you mentioned that you you've got like a really
strong mix of different treatments, six to combat this, but
you still kept, what were your commitments? You still did
what you had planned. How hard was that? Both emotionally
and physically to do that whilst going under the treatment.
So I you know, one of the things I have
said is that if I were, you know, stuffing envelopes
for a living, I would, I would have definitely stayed
home, but I'm so fortunate at that my career I
could Subsys subsists on adrenaline alone. You know, when I
got on the stage and there's 30,000 people in front
of me and it's hard to even think of yourself.
So the hard part was a while. There was a
lot of the hard parts, but when, when it came
to work, you know, I would go to the airport
and my husband would drop me off and I'd be
balled and gray and glossy eyed and sick. And he
would say, Hey, how are you going to do this?
And I would just look at them and say, I
just am I, and you know what? I had an
ultimate faith in me. I knew I would be okay.
I knew I would figure it out. And so traveling
with an exploding stomach is not a good time airports
with an exploding stomach, not a good time, but I
would say I asked my race organizations and my race
directors for a little help. I, you know, and I,
I, on occasion I could reach out and saying, Hey,
can you help me get some Ivy fluids while like,
you know, I'm in your town. So I would fly
to California to get off the plane and race director
had a range for me to get a ride over
to a hydration place to go get fluid's in Buffalo,
New York, they had a nurse come to my hotel
room and, and I needed that. I needed that to
stay upright and not be dehydrated, but a even if
I spent the night on the hotel bathroom floor sick,
when my alarm went off in the morning, I would
put on my ally, my running clothes.
Or was it not that I was writing? I hope
nobody thinks that I was running these races that was
purely on the microphone, but I would get dressed and
I would just March forward. And that's sometimes what you
got to do that you just have to March forward.
But then when I got on those stages, it was
like a, nothing was wrong or almost nothing. You know,
I, I, I D I certainly felt some of my
side effects while working, but the, the joy filled me
up so much. And that's really, you know, with my
new book, that's one of the main lessons is, or
messages is that pursue your passions, no matter what's going
on, are going wrong in your life. You need to
find your passions and you need to hold on tight
to them.
And if you, if you love animals and you spending
your time at, on the farm, and that could be
a great joy, and now you're in a hospital, fine.
Maybe you can't bring your donkey to the hospital, but
you can get online and watch cute little animal videos.
You know, there's always a way to include your passions
and your present. And I think that my running community
saved my life, that in my time with my kids,
it just, I, I found the formula for thriving while
surviving.
And, and obviously you had mentioned that you were very
upfront about your diagnosis and you'd made the video and
you see, and you, you probably are pure you baldness.
And you know that there is also a treatment and
that takes peripheral into the title of your book, I
think, which is My, Noisy, Cancer come back. What you
really epitomizes, you know, that the journey you went through
and how others can learn from it, with their own,
if they have gone through a similar process, no, also
written a book. It can be hard for anybody, but
when you were going for a treatment and you're gonna
be feeling drained and tired, how hard was it? And
where are you ever wondering why you started writing on
the first place?
Yeah. You know, and you know what? I wish I
would have known I was going to write a book
from the start because I, you know, two things. When
I, as I went through the treatment, I didn't let
anybody know what was going on. I they know what
I was being treated and they knew I was fall,
but I would say I was always smiling and saying,
I'm fine. I'm fine. Thank you for your great, I
never let on that. I was sick or crying my
eyes out every day from stress. You know, I just
kept a, a smile on my face publicly because my
job is to care for other people. Right. So what
happened is, you know, a couple of months into the
process, I started thinking, well, nobody told me XYZ was
gonna happen.
So they tell you up front with chemo, Oh, you
might feel sick. You might be extra tired. You might
be bald. Nobody tells you that your eyes may change
colors or that your fingernails may rot out while on
your hand and stink to high hell. Nobody's told me
that any of those things. So as the accumulation of
side effects became the size of a mountain, I kept,
I, it turned humorous. You know, it was one of
those things where I thought, Holy crap, this is so
funny and I was suffering, but I also thought it
was hilarious. And then I, I just kind of resented
the fact that nobody not even all these celebrities with
their memoirs, none of them were coming clean and telling
the truth about what treatment was really like.
So I started making a list in my, the notes
section on my iPhone, have, you know, a chemo round
one, what side-effects came with those round too. And I
didn't know if I was going to let me just
do a talk or write an article. And then eventually
I got to the point and I thought, no people,
people would get a kick out of this. You know,
AI can help people do better and be better. I
can help guide them on good practices for doing battle
with cancer and winning every day. But I also thought
it would be a really fun story. You know, things
went haywire in a way, as you look back in
a hilarious way. So to have my chapter title is
one of them's called the bright side of poop on
my face.
And the other one is called, when things go wrong,
don't go with them naked at the airport. And both
of those things happen to me. There was poop on
my face, threw my treatment and I was naked in
an airport and it was hilarious. So I would write
on an airplane on airplanes. And that was the only
time I really had, you know, four or five hours
where I wasn't sleeping. I wasn't that the doctor I
wasn't working, I can just sit. And so I was
making progress with a book on airplanes and, and that
was, I liked being productive. I like when I have
something to say, and then once COVID shut down the
world and still my career, I had plenty of time
to sit on my back porch and finished that book.
And as you mentioned, as a very raw and honest
as to what happens when you're going through this journey
of varsity, some that are not deliberately should cost the
process, but maybe if you don't want to be as
upfront because they're embarrassed or it's not what they're trying
to portray themselves, which you obviously, you know, Admiral admirably
didn't want to do. And what's been the feedback I've
received from people that I've read it, that you have
met at conferences or emails or whatever it about them
in the book and the impact on them.
So most importantly, the book has been from people who've
actually had. Cancer the most common bit of feedback I
get is I wish I had this book when I
was diagnosed. They look at it and say, Oh my
gosh, I had not, I did not have a tool
like this. That was, it would have been great. And
then on the flip side, I have so many people
buying the book for friends that are newly diagnosed or
going through it. And the response from present cancer patients
is extraordinary. They just, you know, this is helping me.
This is inspirational. This is going to allow me to
pursue happiness while I'm being treated. You know, I have
a new respect for perspective. You know, my attitude, even
though again, I suffered to the max, I never had
a pity party because I wasn't a kid with cancer.
You know, that's going to be way worse than me
in a grown up. It wasn't my kid with cancer.
And for me, it wasn't one of the more lethal
types of cancer or ALS you know, something or, or
instant paralysis. You know, there is some things that could
go horribly wrong. And I was very fortunate that there
was a light at the end of the tunnel for
me. So I decided to suck it up like a
good little soldier. So yeah. So those bits of feedback
that it, it, that cancer patients say, this is a
valuable tool and this is helping me. And I, and
I go on to some rants because people, Oh my
gosh, it's for the majority, almost everyone was so kind
of right. I have all of this wave of kindness
as tsunami of kindness always sent my way, but then
people did some really weird things.
So for example, when I was newly diagnosed and I
have time, I have, I don't have thousands of connections
around the world. So people would reach out and saying,
Oh, I'm rooting for you, blah, blah, blah. But some
people would reach out and saying, Hey, just wanted to
let you know, my aunt just died of breast cancer.
And I thought, Oh wow, thank you. Like, I know
what to do with that. And I know they were
just trying to connect and they were rooting for me,
but to constantly be reminded by people say, Hey, my
sister just died of breast cancer. That made me feel
bad. And if I wasn't such a sturdy person, that
type of comment might have, you know, left me and
a ball of tiers on the floor. So the, you
know, the message being, if you hear of a friend
who has some newly scary diagnosis, trying to aim for
the positive, you know, don't, don't bring up the dark
and gloomy side because they already know that that exists.
Some people would say things like, Oh, it's just hair.
You know, it's not just hair. If it was just
here, we all just shaved a head and, and, and
we'd all be balled, but it's not just here. We
like it here. It can make us feel pretty. It
could make us feel warm. And so, you know, I
try to include some lessons in the book. And then
really, I think, you know, they always say, choose a
market, right? You don't your book. Isn't right for everybody.
But if it's, if you're a person going through hard
times, or you just would like to have a laugh,
because as there is a few places in the book
where people tell me, they've cried, most of them say,
is it okay that I lacked my head off through
your book? And I want them to know that was,
that was part of my intention.
I thought my experience was a hilarious in hindsight 'cause
it was just so preposterous. So, you know, if, if
you're not laughing, when the poop, it's my face, there
is something wrong with you.
And, and I, I love the fact that you have,
you mentioned that people had wished they had it, you
know, when they were going through it or had been
diagnosed, because generally as you mentioned, friends and family, or
trying to come through you and, and make you feel
good, but we said the wrong things, you know? And,
and to your point, we say that we consider in
the dark, but you've got this, you've got this. Like,
I don't know if we do have those, you know,
so it's really interesting to hear that you mentioned that.
Yeah. How do you know, how do you know its
interesting. I asked my family, you know, asked my son
I when I told my kids, I can. I said,
adamantly, I am going to be fine. I'm going to
look weird. I'm going to feel a little sick, but
I'm going to be fine. And, and my son, his
response was mommy, you are going to look so cute
bald, which is so sweet. So I thought I did
a good job of convincing him. But a year later
when he and I we're having a conversation, I said,
Parker, was there ever a time when you thought I
might, you know, not survive. He said, Oh yeah, I
definitely thought you were going to die. And I thought,
well, why didn't he said, I didn't want to make
your life more difficult by telling you that. And I
thought, wow, what a sweet or, but yeah, its hard
to convince everybody you are going to be okay when
you're really unsure that you're going to be OK.
I mean, I, now I still have to keep looking
over my shoulder. So am I going to have a
reoccurance am I going to find out, you know, last
time I had a, a very identifiable lump and my
breasts, when I come, if it comes back, we'll come
back the same way. Will it just land in my
brain? And I have no idea what, you know, it's
just, it can be scary. It's a tough situation, but
the book is definitely full of laughs.
Awesome. Now, and obviously it ties in now to your
podcast and that we can compliment each other power for
Claire. Your show is over a hundred episodes and I
have, as you mentioned earlier, what are your plans for
the future of the podcast? Is that to continue with
their current format? Are you looking to start and maybe
do a live on, on the field events? I guess
if there are, you know, the kids do in the
morning and my own, et cetera, what was your plan
for it?
Great suggestion. You know, My a podcast, to be honest
with, you has kind of slid off the front burner
for the past couple of years. Once I got diagnosed,
I just kind of lost my steam for that. And
so where I probably should be at episode a hundred,
200, right now I've really only recorded a handful in
the past two years. So I, my intentions are to
come back in video format. I mean, one of my
great greatest assets as a presenter is that eye to
eye contact. You know, I do like that. So more
interviews, more engagement. I have some new online broadcasting software,
so Fitzness dot com will be back in color.
Nice. And I don't know if I said, well, I'll,
I'll be sure to share a lot with all of
our listeners know you mentioned earlier when we're talking about
your, your fitness programs and how your helping celebrities, that
you got the room of UN with the wiggles have
old people. Yeah. But who would be your all time
here or that it would make your ultimate were and
why that person or people. Right.
Well, okay. Thank you for giving me a few of,
so I would love to meet Garth Brooks. He was
my favorite singer. My another woo. I mean, there are
some hunky guys that would definitely take Chris Hemsworth he's
doing nothing wrong and there's my laser focus. Apparently. I'm
After cute guys too. Woo Over. I'd love to bring
back Abraham Lincoln and work out with him actually are,
are former president George W. Bush. He is an athlete.
He, you know, he's not a, a, a, well, I'm
just going to say it. He's an athlete and he's
a cyclist and he multiple times a year, it gets
together with large groups of veterans and goes on long
bike rides with him.
And I just think that's so magical. And for someone
to one of my favorite thing is not one of
my favorite things in my actual favorite thing is the
United States of America. I love my constitution, one of
the bill of rights and I'm, couldn't be more grateful
for all of our freedoms. So to be able to
go work out or consult with a president and a
bunch of wounded warriors who have fought so hard for
freedom, that would be, you know, that would be an
exciting beyond belief that what that would make me go
fan girl, for sure.
That would be amazing to have someone like Tammy Duckworth,
for example, work alongside you. Like her story is incredible.
I just, anytime you see her speak at the time,
so Tammy Duckworth, I think she's, I think she's in
politics now and I'm pretty sure she's like a, a
representative like one day, I don't know if it's a
Democrat or Republican, right. But she is a war virtual
support for the legs and comeback. And she is very
big obviously on VAT, you know, the vets they are
being looked after. So it would be amazing to see
like you both very powerful forward women. So it'd be
amazing to see us together. I think. Sure. I love
that. All right, cool. So you mentioned a joint Toby,
which there, and I was watching one of the, bring
it on movies with my kids, like the children of
movies and it, and one of them.
And I, I don't know if this was just a
movie, but it's actually a lot of a, I've been
there for something, but they mentioned it to George W.
Bush was the actual cheerleader and we all cheer letter
back in the day. So have you heard of that?
I don't
Call, but I imagine it probably wasn't GW. I imagine
it was probably his father, George Herbert Walker, Bush. He
was also a baseball player for, I believe Yale. So
I don't know if it's GW. I haven't heard that
GWL was a cheerleader, but he was a fun guy.
He was an enthusiastic Mann, perhaps he was going to
have to learn about that now.
Yeah, we did some Google and I couldn't find anything.
So I think maybe its just like a throw over
a lane in a movie, but I just also, I
just stuck there thinking, but possibly I am at all.
Oh for sure. Yeah. I know that sports. We're a
huge deal on that family and Gen
Well, for me, this has been amazing. I've really enjoyed
talking to you today and I know our listeners are
going to really enjoy our chat For for people to
wanna connect with you online, to learn more about a
year. You know, you're more than a mile program for
kids for the schools, buy your book, et cetera, whereas
the best police for them to connect with you.
Ah, thank you Danny. So Morning Mile dot com will
take you to get more kids moving in the mornings.
Fitzness dot com is my home base. That's F I
T Z N S S. So Fitzness dot com. AU
is where you find me every day of the year.
You can also follow me at Fitzness on Instagram, YouTube
and Facebook and follow me. Yes, but also engaged with
me, say hi, say I heard you on Danny's podcast
and they want to say hello because why just following
each other? Why not actually communicate? And then if you'd
like to purchase my book, it's available in hardcover, paperback
e-book and audio books, and it's available, wherever books are
sold war worldwide. So certainly Amazon Barnes and Nobles, audible,
et cetera.
However, I love it when people buy it directly from
me at Fitzness dot com because I can autograph every
one of those books. And if you order on my
website, there is a little spot that says, who do
I inscribe this too? And so I sign all of
those books and I have a fun little gift with
purchase that comes with the book in it. It's a
sticker that says I can do hard things, which was
my internal mantra as I was going from one scary
moment to the next, during treatment. And it really got
me through it. So, but yeah, I appreciate everyone who
does take interest and you know, I hope that the
book brings some big laughs and some comfort for those
who need it.
Awesome. And I'll be sure to drop all the links
sent to the show notes. So all of your list
that all your favorite podcast app made sure to check
the show notes as usual, so you can collect straight
through to them. It's a fit, as I mentioned, I
really appreciate you coming on today. I, I know I
personally, I'm looking forward. I actually have a lot of
your book on Amazon, but it might cancel that. No,
and go direct to your website to get a little
ones, to know that they know that. That's awesome. So
I'm looking forward to reading and I've had an absolute
blast talking to you today and, and listen to your
story as a thank you. Thank
You, Daphne. And thanks to all of the listeners.
It's been another episode of Podcaster Stories. If you enjoy
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