Woman overcomes cancer with help from Chanhassen workout group

Exercising didn’t prevent Sherry Poss from getting cancer, but doctors told her it likely helped her beat it.

It’s been less than a year since Poss’ lymphoma diagnosis, and she’s back working out with her Alpha team at Life Time’s Chanhassen location.

"That was probably the thing I was most looking forward to," Poss told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Now cancer-free since May 6, Poss said it was late July 2020 when she noticed something wasn’t right during some of her workouts with her team.

"I had to start to take a break from working out," she said. "My body hurt all the time, I wasn’t able to catch my breath and that just wasn’t normal."

She went to the hospital on July 30. The next day she started a chemotherapy regimen. Doctors told her she came to the hospital likely earlier than others because she was so active and knew how her body should be feeling.

"I had three tumors in my abdomen, I had cancer in my bone marrow, and just really throughout my body," Poss said. "I also had some cancer in my spinal fluid."

She said that resulted in 19 lumbar punctures, which were some of the worst days. The bone marrow biopsy, multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a clinical trial weren’t great for Poss, either. Doctors also credit her health habits to helping her through those treatments.

"I know I was just a small part of her success story, but affecting someone in that big of a way is just life-changing," said Dan Hove, Alpha coach and personal trainer at Life Time.

Hove is Poss’s coach; he and her self-proclaimed "Possy" provided meals for the Poss family, custom workouts for her during her stay at the hospital and the motivation to overcome cancer.

"They were amazing," Poss said. "They were like my little protectors."

She was told she was cancer-free on May 6. Now back in the Alpha studio, Poss says she feels great. Doctors will monitor her closely with monthly blood tests and PET scans every few months.