Clinical Cancer Exercise Specialist Workshop

G. Haukur Guðmundsson, PT, M.Sc.

Ljósið – endurhæfing
Phone:  +354-561-3770
Email:  haukur@ljosid.is

"As a physical therapist who has been specializing in cancer rehabilitation with a focus on exercise to improve people‘s health and quality of life after cancer diagnosis, the CCES workshop felt like it was created for me personally. The enthusiastic and professional work they do at the University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute was really inspiring. Just meeting other like minded people made the trip to the US for the workshop worth it. The level of knowledge and information they have really surpassed my expectations. I have been working with people diagnosed with cancer for the past seven years as well as done my own research on the importance of exercise and fitness for cancer survivors. It‘s clear to me that UNCCRI is a leader in this field and I highly recommend to everyone working with cancer patients and survivors to do the CCES workshop if they want to be on top of things. I work in the only specialized cancer rehabilitation center in Iceland and we have been able to incorporate much of what the CCES workshop taught me. Also, I am a 10 year cancer survivor myself and I also learned a lot of things that have helped me personally since I got back home to Iceland after the CCES workshop."

Rory McGarry B.S. CES

 Fitness Specialist at Poudre Valley Medical Fitness
Windsor, CO 80550
Cancer Exercise Specialist at UCHealth Cancer Center
Fort Collins, CO 80521

Phone:  720-382-8450
Email:  Rory.mcgarry@uchealth.org

“My mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in August of 2009. Back then, I had little to no knowledge of cancer. This sparked my interest in working with cancer patients but I really didn’t know how to help her and exercise wasn’t a part of her treatment process. Through classes at Colorado State University, I learned the benefits of exercise on the body but nothing really specific to the cancer population. Throughout my internship at Poudre Valley Medical Fitness, I worked with a lot of cancer patients which furthered my passion for the cancer field and led me to the Cancer Exercise Specialist Workshop at the University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute. There, I learned so much valuable information and met some great people along the way. This workshop taught me everything from the causes and diagnosis of cancer to treatments, medications, and benefits of exercise, cancer-specific assessments, and most importantly, gave me hands on practical experience. I had the opportunity to go through the assessment protocol and see how the exercise program was directly affecting the clients. All of the staff are so friendly and so passionate about what they do, which is what makes this program so great. Regardless of your job description, this workshop will provide you with the necessary tools and knowledge to be confident and successful in any position. I am grateful for this opportunity and highly recommend this program to anyone looking to pursue the cancer field.”

 Jenny Newman M.S., ACSM CE-P, CES

Health Fitness Specialist
EXOS/MediFit
 Email:  JNewman@MediFit.com

“I have a passion for Health and Exercise Science, but never knew precisely what career path I wanted to take. Then while finishing my last semester as a graduate student at Colorado State University I attended a seminar about exercise rehabilitation for cancer patients, during which the University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute was mentioned. A light bulb went off in my head. I am a 4 year cancer survivor with a MS in Health and Exercise Science and personal experience in the toxic physical, mental, and emotional effects of cancer treatment. Despite my unique perspective, I lacked the proper education to work with other cancer patients. The week long CCES workshop at UNCCRI equipped me with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to work with this unique population. Hands-on training, lectures, and anecdotes from the trainers were invaluable in understanding the complexity of cancer care and how vital exercise is for quality of life. The environment at UNCCRI is familial, respective, genuine, and fun. The workshop enlightened me regarding the science of cancer exercise rehab, as well as how rewarding and crucial of a field it is. I cannot wait to couple my own experience with cancer and the training from UNCCRI to help other cancer survivors in their journey."

 Stacy Cutrono, MS, CES

Exercise Specialist, Integrative Medicine
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Phone:  305-243-7377
Email:  SCutrono@med.miami.edu

“As a graduate student interested in the use of exercise in the cancer population I was excited to learn that the University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute had been working with cancer survivors for over a decade.  Cancer survivors have unique and varied physical conditions throughout and following their cancer treatment and it is challenging to work with a variety of cancer survivors with no formal training. The week-long workshop was an excellent opportunity to learn about safety issues, facility considerations and the overall application of fitness among cancer survivors. The entire training staff of UNCCRI, from the instructors, to the graduate students, to each individual cancer exercise specialist were welcoming, helpful, informative and willing to answer any question.  Throughout the week, lectures were peppered with personal experiences of difficult cases and scenarios.  As a group we had the opportunity to practice both exercise testing and prescription for multiple case studies. The training I received from UNCCRI gave me the confidence to apply my knowledge of exercise physiology and physical activity promotion to the cancer clients I currently work with. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity I had to take part in UNCCRI workshop.”

Bob Wolfe, NSCA-CPT, NPTI-PT

Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist
Owner of F.I.T. Solutions
Phone: 303.875.8277
Email: rewolfe56@gmail.com or cancerex@earthlink.net

“As a 36 year cancer survivor and Personal Trainer, my workshop experience at UNCCRI was invaluable. I was able to take my personal experience with cancer coupled with my certification as a Personal Trainer and through new found knowledge gained from the workshop, I have been able to apply this to my Health and Wellness career beyond measure. Since attending UNCCRI I have worked with a number of client’s pre, current, and post cancer treatment. The reason I got into this field was to give back what has been given to me. My experience with my clients has been so rewarding, especially when we are able to see their growth and accomplishments physically.   The knowledge I gained at the workshop has been rewarding to me and the people I am able to reach with cancer. The staff at UNCCRI is so helpful and knowledgeable; I highly recommend UNCCRI's Cancer Workshop to further your career in the Health and Wellness field.”