Back to Body Combat!

Mytime Active Body Combat instructor, Nicki, has just completed the final phase of her breast cancer treatment, having finished five intensive rounds of radiotherapy, following surgery.

Here Nicki reflects on how exercise, particularly her Body Combat classes, became her anchor throughout one of her life’s most challenging periods. “I’ve never been able to sit still”, says Nicki. “I’ve always loved running and cycling, and about nine years ago I discovered Les Mills classes including Body Combat. A friend recommended the class and when I initially started attending, I was so shy and lacking in confidence I would stand at the back, head down, hoping no one would notice me. But there was something about the music and the energy – gradually I found myself moving towards the front, building confidence with each session. To think I now teach Body Combat is crazy!”

Nicki teaches at The Spa in Beckenham three times a week. She says: “I become a different person when I’m teaching. On the stage, microphone on, it’s almost like a concert. I can’t describe the energy and the shared enthusiasm. It’s amazing, I love it.”

During Nicki’s cancer treatment, the fitness community became one of her support networks. She says: “The Mytime Active members and my colleagues never let me feel isolated, even taking me out for celebratory drinks after completing radiotherapy. They’ve provided constant encouragement throughout my treatment and recovery. Whilst I only took four weeks off following surgery, it was so amazing to get back in the studio. Since then, many members have shared their own struggles with me, each of them finding solace in the 45 minutes of Body Combat that allows them to channel their emotions into powerful physical expression".

“The restorative value of these classes helps everyone in the room. I see how some members arrive carrying emotional burdens and, during the class, they transform. Their faces tell stories of stress and worry that is released through movement. I hope to create a safe space for this healing, for everyone to ‘let go’, as everyone needs their 45 minutes of escapism. For both me and the members I meet, exercise is a processing time, whether that’s walking my dogs, being back out on my bike or high-energy group exercise classes!”

Looking ahead, Nicki will be regularly monitored through blood tests and doctors’ consultations, including mammograms. She says: “I view this ongoing care as a positive safety net rather than a burden. My cancer journey has reinforced my belief in positive thoughts and exercise as medicine – not just for physical health, but for emotional wellbeing. Even today, it still hasn’t hit me what I've had done, what I’ve been through. I’m so grateful to my ‘Body Combaters’ and the Mytime Active community, I’m very lucky.”

Nicki’s return to The Spa at Beckenham marks not just personal recovery, but visible hope for her fitness community. Seeing their instructor back, healthy and energetic, offers tangible proof that challenges can be overcome while maintaining the activities that bring joy and connection.

Through Body Combat Nikki found her voice, her confidence and ultimately the strength to face cancer with the same energy she brings to every class she teaches. Welcome back Nicki – you inspire us all.