All her life, Mariam Jandad from Batley, has been used to pushing through barriers to achieve her goals.
As a young schoolgirl, she wanted to pursue studies in interior design, but ended up going into a clothing factory, which was seen as acceptable work for a woman, where she worked long hours at a sewing machine. The work was unchallenging, and Mariam found she was putting on weight, due to her sedentary lifestyle.
“I knew this wasn’t for me and I felt I wanted more out of life,” she recalls.
She found a local women-only gym and started attending straight after work. She overcame family opposition as being aimed at women, it was seen as acceptable to the tight-knit community where she lived.
“In those days, it was unheard of for Asian women to get into fitness. It was very much a taboo,” she explains.
Mariam was a natural and quickly went from being a participant, to undertaking qualifications so she could help at her gym. Soon she was asked to carry out aerobics classes and inductions. From there, she got offered a ladies only community based exercise class.
When a position came up at Dewsbury Sports Centre, Mariam applied and spent eight happy years running a variety of classes. The work paved the way for a new role at Kirklees Physical Activity and Leisure Scheme (PALS) working with people with health conditions who needed exercise referrals. Mariam felt it suited her interest in fitness and in helping people to improve their health, and she continued there until a new service was set up, just before the pandemic.
Kirklees Wellness Service was launched to support people to live healthier, happier lives and help them to feel more able to look after themselves and others.
Health coaches like Mariam, help by working one to one with clients to improve wellbeing whether that is about achieving a healthy weight, become more physically active or cutting back on drinking and smoking.
It was October 2020, and Mariam and her colleagues were working from home. It was a period of sadness, as her father-in-law had died from Covid, and the family were remembering the man they had lost.
Although no longer able to attend a gym, Mariam still kept up a punishing exercise regime with regular long runs but found her body didn’t seem to be as responsive as usual.
“I’m always in tune with my body and I felt my breathing was laboured and I had a painful shoulder, but put it down to lockdown working.”
When she felt a small lump near to her breast, she didn’t hesitate. She made an appointment to see her GP, who is also a friend.
“I didn’t think twice about seeking medical help, despite the pandemic. I clearly remember thinking one of my last clients was a lady with breast cancer, looking to get into exercise again. But I wasn’t particularly worried, and my GP said it was likely to be benign,” Mariam added.
She was quickly referred to the breast clinic, where after a series of tests including a mammogram and a biopsy, the consultant confirmed it was cancer.
For Mariam, the speed of the diagnosis and the fact her husband wasn’t allowed to be by her side, are what stick in her mind.
“I was so worried about how I would tell my hubby when he had just lost his Dad. We decided to delay telling anyone until after I’d been back to get official confirmation of the cancer and a treatment plan.”
Lockdown proved to be a blessing. Mariam’s normal busy timetable combining running exercise classes with health coaching had slowed down allowing her time to think and reflect.
She chose some family members and a few close friends to talk to about her cancer. A good friend sent her The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer – how to feel empowered and take control by Prof Trisha Greenhalgh and Dr Liz O’Riordan.
“I never read books, but I read this one over and over again. It helped me get back into fitness. I saw it as guidance, and I kept an open mind.”
Mariam’s treatment included seven rounds of chemotherapy, surgery; 20 sessions of radiotherapy and now 14 cycles of a preventative therapy.
“At first, I thought, how did this happen? I’ve been looking after my body and my diet. Where did I go wrong,” Mariam remembers. “But I realised that cancer doesn’t choose. I am quite religious and this brought me closer to my religion.
“As a Muslim I accepted that this was God’s will and that I could find a way of dealing with it. I felt at peace. From having a busy life, suddenly everything was closed off, from me with cancer and with lockdown. It just gave me time to catch my breath.”
Mariam adjusted her fitness routine to swop runs for walks when she felt she was strong enough. She listened to her body and picked up the pace when she felt she could.
She returned to work on a phased return last autumn and said her colleagues and line manager have been incredibly supportive.
Mariam chose to speak out about having breast cancer because she wanted to challenge preconceived ideas in her community.
Just as taking part in health and fitness for young Asian women was once considered a taboo subject, she thinks talking openly about cancer will become acceptable.
Looking back, she remembers an auntie having throat cancer, but she never talked about it. “I didn’t appreciate how hard it must have been for her at the time, we never spoke of it and now I wish I had understood what she was going through,” Mariam says.
Some people found it difficult to accept that she chose to announce on Facebook that she had cancer, but for Mariam it was cathartic.
“It needs talking about and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Now one in two people will develop cancer, it’s so important to raise awareness, so the cancer can be caught early.”
Mariam has now signed up to become a Cancer Champion to help promote Cancer SMART. If you would like to help us make more people aware, please see more information at www.yorkshirecancercommunity.co.uk/cancersmart/