Helping Survivors Move Forward: One YMCA Coach’s Impact Beyond Cancer

Every Thursday night, former participants in the Survivorship & Wellness Program Powered by Moffitt meet at the Northwest Hillsborough YMCA to work out, catch up and celebrate one another. Birthdays might bring a plank held for as many seconds as the person’s age – sometimes split into smaller sets after a round of negotiation. 

Their coach, Chris Malette, jokes with them about the challenge. But the meet-up is more than a group exercise class. Since he helped start it in 2018, he says, it has become a “family slash therapy group.” It’s also a reminder that strength is not just physical, and moving forward doesn’t mean doing it alone.

Chris has coached cancer survivors at the Y since 2016 in the Tampa YMCA’s Survivorship & Wellness Program, a 12-week class that offers support, guidance and personal training to anyone who has ever been diagnosed with and treated for cancer.

During those sessions, Chris tailors activities to participants’ goals and abilities. Some arrive unsure about exercise or what their bodies can do after treatment. He tries to make the gym feel welcoming, celebrates small wins and helps each person build confidence at their own pace.

“I’m fun. I’m entertaining,” he says. 

Over the years, he has watched participants regain abilities they feared they had lost. 

One participant, he recalls, came to the Y with a singular goal: to close the hatch of her car without struggling to reach it. 

She was 24 and had limited range of motion after breast cancer surgery. So, for their 12-week session, they focused on stretching, flexibility and back strength. He asked her to wait until the final night of the program before trying the hatch again.

When that night came, Chris pressed the car remote. The hatch lifted. She reached up with both hands and pulled it down – so enthusiastically, he recalled, that he jokingly reminded her not to break the car.

The moment was joyful but also reflected something Chris has seen repeatedly: people can surprise themselves with what they’re capable of. 

Chris first came to the YMCA as a member in 2014. To prioritize his health, he began running, lost 45 pounds and became interested in triathlons. The supportive community he found at the Y helped him keep going. The Survivorship Wellness Program became a way for him to pass on the encouragement he had received. “So many people have been awesome to me on my journey,” he said. “I need to pass that on.” 

Asked what participants have taught him, Chris returned to perseverance: “I’ve learned from all of these folks that just keep going.”

Chris hopes more YMCA centers will offer survivorship programs and alumni groups. In the meantime, he keeps returning to the purpose he outlines at the start of each program: “This is your class. I am your guy. I am here for you and what you need.”

As Chris puts it, "I want you guys to all be rad your whole lives."