From fitness guru to testimonial of the fight against breast cancer. The story of Ilaria Montagnani has its roots in the exercise. Athlete by profession, Ilaria, Florentine transplanted to New York for over thirty years and top fitness instructor of the Equinox gym chain, has always based its philosophy of life on the belief that exercise makes stronger in life, even mentally. About ten years ago his life was a model of perfection, health and career at the highest levels, nothing allowed a shocking diagnosis to upset his existence, breast cancer.
“Pur having troubles – he explained – I didn’t think about cancer at all, then instead a biopsy revealed the opposite and had to undergo a mastectomy.” Ilaria has documented all its path, coming down a lot in staff, among hospitals, therapies, moments of distress, suffering, in a documentary, ‘Stronger for Life’. It is not only his personal battle to defeat evil but also an appeal to do prevention even when you are convinced to be healthy. Stronger for Life is indirectly, and without medical claims, a sort of scientific analysis on how to react to cancer and care a person who, as she pointed out, “has lived for 25 years in a healthy way, who does the athlete work, as the body responds to a mastectomy, without neglecting mental reaction”.
“The core of the documentary – Ilaria continues – is not so much me, that I have survived, but I am the pretext to talk about how much I helped exercise at that time. In my particular case, moreover, from martial artist, he also benefited my mind and helped me to recover better. Obviously the exercise does not prevent you from getting sick, I unfortunately got sick, but surely helps you to face the next, therapies, and physical and mental recovery is faster.”.
And when he thought he finally got rid of cancer, in 2024 another lightning bolt. “Cancer has returned to the other breasts – he says – and the first has become metastases, fourth stage, as a death sentence for me. They took off my femur and hip and gave me a year maybe two of my life, I will have to chemo forever, at least until my physicist sustains it. Fortunately I’m still here and I can be physically active and it’s a wonderful thing for me, it helps me not to depress me and even more than the first time. At the time of the first tumor I was not in danger of life, now yes.”.
Despite metastases and intensive care, Ilaria still manages to teach four high-intensity courses a day. He manages to ‘enge’ well because to see it nothing leaves his true condition suspected. When time will allow it, he would like to share his experience to talk about the importance of physical exercise for cancer patients. “Even at a medical level – he explains – only now we are beginning to talk about the topic, physical exercise is important as nutrition for cancer patients and my dream is to be able to continue to ‘gear’”.
Ilaria Montagnani has created formats, Impact, Force, Athletics, Powerstrike Kickboxing, Bodystrikes and Definitions. In 2019 his courses in Equinox recorded almost 43 thousand participations in one year, the highest number ever for that year. She has also been awarded the title of ‘Lifetime Achievement Award Instructor’ and has the highest participation not only in New York but also in all Equinox clubs in the world.
L’articolo Ilaria Montagnani and its fight against cancer with exercise proviene da IlNewyorkese.
