CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE September/October 2020 | Page 28

BATTLING ON AND OFF STAGE : AN INTERVIEW WITH
ERIN DANIELLE
byJUAN ROJAS
Anybody who has ever competed before knows how challenging of a journey
it can be getting to the stage. Of course, it can be extremely rewarding, but
it requires a lot of effort year-round. Being a fitness competitor requires
an extreme amount of dedication and hard work. Now imagine adding
cancer to that blend of challenges and you get an extraordinary story. Erin
was preparing for her 3rd show when she noticed her body was just not
reacting how it had in the past. There was something fishy going on.
Despite what life threw at her, her positive mindset and attitude of a warrior
led her to tackle this battle head on!
Erin’s story is the amazing example of how to dig deep and be your very
best. I had the pleasure of interviewing Erin. If you are lacking motivation,
make sure to read this and I can assure you that you will be inspired.
Juan: Hello Erin! Thank you very much for joining us today and for sharing your story with us. Please
tell us about how you got into fitness and why training is so important to you.
Erin: I have been an athlete all my life. But after a bad break up, I really started taking weight training and
nutrition seriously. They say break-ups make bodybuilders! Training made me feel strong and confident
inside and outside of the gym again.
Juan: Tell me about your first show, the journey and what some of the major challenges you faced
were.
Erin: My first show was exhilarating. I felt that I found something I
truly loved. I fell in love with the stage, and the feeling of being there.
The biggest challenge of my first prep and show was balancing life
as a single mom of a young son. Early mornings and late nights
were tough.
Juan: Definitely sounds like a challenge! Falling in love with the
stage is something that definitely happens to a lot of us. Tell me
more about the following shows after that.
Erin: My first and second show went off without a hitch. My body
reacted well to the training and nutrition. After the second show,
when it came time to prepare for my third show, my body was not
reacting with the same ease as my first two shows. My coach and I
were at a bit of loss as to why. Shortly after, I found a tumour in my left
breast; this was August 2016. I had a mammogram and ultrasound
immediately. It was soon after that; I was in fact diagnosed with stage
3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer. In the following year, I underwent
3 surgeries (lumpectomy, double mastectomy and reconstruction)
and 16 rounds of chemotherapy. Prep was put on hold, but not for
long. After my final chemo treatment, I started preparing to make
my return to the stage. I stepped on stage at the Vancouver Pro/Am
16 months after my final chemo treatment.
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Juan: Wow that definitely sounds like a challenging time. What was
the hardest part about the cancer treatments and still being able to
stay on your discipline as much as possible?