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Surviving after cancer

By Travis Rosenau 5 min read

NEW ULM -- Surviving a battle against breast cancer is something to celebrate, but getting back to a positive, healthy life is another battle many survivors face.

However, it's not something they have to face alone.

That's a message New Ulm Fitness trainer Brandy Toomer shares with those in her Survivor Fitness program, which takes place at New Ulm Fitness and is made possible by B The Light, a nonprofit organization based in New Ulm that supports breast cancer survivors.

"The women already know how to survive, now I just want to teach them how to live," Toomer said.

Survival Fitness began in 2021 as a functional fitness class for women who have survived breast cancer. Toomer, who also works at the New Ulm Medical Center, refers to the class as a functional fitness class because it focuses more on body weight movements, which translates well for those building back strength.

"Things like deadlift or dumbbell work, so things that you were going to do outside of here as well," she said. "So picking up a laundry basket is like doing a deadlift or pressing a dumbbell over your head is like putting something on the shelf in the garage or picking up your grandkids, and squatting is just getting yourself on and off the toilet."

Through strength training, Toomer is able to help survivors accomplish the overall goal of the class, which is longevity.

"[From] prevention to strengthening after all of their chemo … ," Toomer said. "Strength training helps with the bone loss, the muscle loss and then also kind of balances out that premature menopause, hormonal imbalance they may come across after their treatments."

Survival Fitness came to be when Dr. Cori Jordan, a surgeon at the New Ulm Medical Center who specializes in general surgery and breast surgery, approached Toomer about getting a training program together for breast cancer survivors.

"She approached me at work and said that she wants to do this type of a program for breast cancer survivors in the area, so local breast cancer survivors … she wanted to do something more for them, and she is very fitness-orientated in herself and knows that it could be medicine for people," Toomer said. "And it is medicine, not just physically, but mentally as well. … She approached me and asked me and said that she wants me to run this program for these ladies. She said I would be the best fit, just personality-wise, and then knowledge with women and fitness and strength training in general."

The two then collaborated with Amber Melby, founder of B the Light, and created Survival Fitness to give the survivors another opportunity to thrive after diagnosis.

"For me, as the founder of B the Light, watching programs like Survival Fitness continue to grow and benefit our local survivors is so amazing," Melby said. "I have participated in a few different sessions and saw firsthand how it helps women not only physically but also mentally as they connect with other survivors. It is one of our most popular offerings and has such a profound impact on women as they navigate the different stages of their cancer journey."

Survival Fitness classes are put on for four weeks in the fall and four weeks in the spring, with the first fall class beginning September 9.

The deadline to register for the New Ulm Survival Fitness fall program is September 7.

"Breast cancer survivors at any point in their journey are welcome to join B the Light programs," B the Light Executive Director Tracy Frederick said. "We always want to ensure that survivors have clearance from their care team, but our trainers are awesome at modifying the program for individual needs."

Those interested can sign up at bthelightinfo.org/calendar by scrolling to September 2026 and hitting the available pink Register button.

Toomer said she wants to continue incorporating new things, especially for returning ladies, but she also wants the classes to be educational and supportive in more ways than one. Some classes may focus specifically on heart health and cardio, while others focus on strengthening other muscles and mobility.

Toomer also said it's important for the ladies to interact and feel supported as a community.

"The talking aspect, the joining, a group of ladies who are all been through or going through the same exact things," she said. "I’m pretty sure we take at least a good 20 to 30 minutes at the beginning of each class where we stand in a circle. We start with kind of icebreakers where I make everybody say their name, and then maybe I’ll bring up one key point that we can talk about or share about each other, and then they feed off of that."

Toomer said during that period, the women feel more open sharing personal details and questions that they may not be able to talk about with others.

"We laugh a lot during this, but I mean, [we talk about] things like, 'Did you guys wear a wig? Where did you get them? Did you have breast implants afterwards or not?' … Then also down into some more private conversations that these ladies don’t get to have with anybody else."

Melby said both Brandy and Jeff Toomer, New Ulm Fitness co-owners, have gone above and beyond to help survivors and she is grateful for their partnership with B the Light.

"They have given passes for women to continue using the gym and have held fundraising events at the gym that help raise funds for B the Light, allowing us to continue offering this important program," Melby said. "We are so grateful for this ongoing partnership that has now helped hundreds of participants over the last five years, and hopefully will for many years to come."

For more information on B the Light, visit www.bthelightinfo.org.

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