Day 13 - Sisters in service - Andrea Leondard

Established by Andrea Leonard (a 38 year cancer survivor) in 2004; in response to a growing need to provide scientifically-based, current information on exercise therapy as a critical component of cancer recovery. Our goal is simple; To Educate Health and Fitness Professionals to Empower Cancer Survivors. We provide health and fitness professionals with comprehensive coursework on twenty-five types of cancer, as well as pediatrics, their surgeries and treatments, breast reconstruction, upper and lower body lymphedema prevention, identification, and managemnent, cancer pain and fatigue, comprehensive fitness evaluations including postural assessment and goniometry, as well as marketing strategies and how to position themselves as the "next step" in the health care continuum. Cancer Exercise Specialists are to cancer what cardiac rehab is to the heart patient. We also provide products and educational materials for health care professionals as well as cancer patients.

Following her mothers second diagnosis with breast cancer, Andrea spent three years working on her book "Essential Exercises for Breast Cancer Survivors," with the help of the chiefs of breast surgery at Johns Hopkins, GW, and Georgetown University Medical Centers. The book was published in 2000 by Harvard Common Press. She then started an OR 501 C-3 non-profit called the Breast Cancer Survivors Foundation and began teaching workshops nationwide on exercise and breast cancer.

Andrea continued to see her family members be affected by cancer, including her father who was diagnosed with prostate and bladder cancer and passed away in 2014. To address the concerns of all cancer patients, Andrea established the Cancer Exercise Training Institute in 2004. She has trained thousands of health and fitness professionals worldwide. The Cancer Exercise Specialist and Breast Cancer Recovery BOSU(R) Specialist Advanced Qualifications are considered the gold standard in exercise programming for cancer