3 Days before Christmas 2007 I discovered I had Breast Cancer and on 21st January I had my Lumpectomy Operation. As I sit to write my story I have reflected on the goodness of God to me and how Curves played a major role in the fact that I did discover this lump at all. My name is Gaby and I am 46 years old, a mother of 4 and wife to the pastor of a church in Hout Bay SA. I joined Curves Hout Bay in April 07, as I could feel my weight creeping up and up, and was aware that my apple shape was putting my health increasingly at risk. My Mom had joined a few months before and she encouraged me with her rave reviews around the atmosphere in the Gym and the convenience of the whole experience. Never having exercised regularly before, nor having been sporty at school, I was initially a little afraid to spend the money on enrolment, but I convinced myself that I needed and deserved to invest in my health and took the plunge. From my very first work out I loved the whole experience! Besides the fact that I had lost, at my last weigh in prior to my Lumpectomy, a total of 21 cm, 3.3 kg and 3.23 body fat kilograms, I feel that Curves has contributed significantly to a very strategic event in my life. On Saturday morning, the 22nd of December 07, I jumped into the shower after a great work out at Curves, and whilst showering and thinking of nothing in particular, I felt a very definite lump in my right breast that I had never noticed before. I immediately went to my GP who sent me directly to the nearest hospital for a mammogram and ultra sound scan, which confirmed the presence of a suspicious lump. On Monday the 24th of December the lump was confirmed as malignant. My Christmas took on a different feel. Fortunately however, throughout this whole experience, I can truly say that, my faith, and the prayers of my family and friends in churches all over the world, have carried me on a cushion of Gods grace and mercy, and my peace and my joy remain. I can sincerely sing ...it is well with my soul. I firmly believe that the fact that I discovered the lump.... in the words of my doctor...at the earliest possible stage..... is directly as a result of the fact that I had lost a total of 5 cm on my breasts. 5 cm of fatty tissue less! It is no wonder I noticed the lump, which had I not have lost that fat, may well have gone undetected by me, until much later! Early detection of Breast Cancer throws a positive light onto what may otherwise be a bleak diagnosis. So let this story serve as, a gentle reminder to all of us ladies to be more vigilant in caring for ourselves, something we are notoriously bad at doing.

It took me nearly a year to decide whether or not to join Curves and I am glad I did! In 1988 I was diagnosed with a disease called Strumples or Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, a degenerative spinal cord disorder characterized by gradual, progressive weakness, stiffness and “spasticity” of the legs caused by some of my nerve ends slowly deteriorating which cause the muscles in my body to go into spasm and stay in spasm. The spasms affect my back, neck, shoulders, hips and legs resulting in difficulty with balance, muscle weakness, stiffness of the legs and dragging of toes while walking. It is embarrassing and can be very painful and feels much like walking against a current. Since starting with Curves Hout Bay my leg muscles have become firm and I now no longer need to be afraid of sitting on, or picking something up off the floor as previously I could never get up from way down there! But my most exciting moment was when my grand daughter one day said “catch me Mimi” and took off through the house knowing full well that running for me was out of the question. Or so she thought. For the first time without hesitation I hiked up my ankle-length skirt and took off after her, dodging furniture and racing up and down the length of our veranda without thinking but just doing. I wasn’t even out of breath. We had the most wonderful game of chase for a good 5 minutes when I suddenly pulled up and realized what I had been doing and how effortless it had been. That for me was such a magical moment. Strumples is progressive and not very comfortable to live with. Curves on the other hand has given me a new lease on being able to have fun in life, lots of energy and so much confidence knowing that the strength in my leg muscles will keep me walking and playing chase with my grand daughter - and if he’s really lucky chasing my husband!!

Cecile Biais is a young woman who lives in Berkshire, a county in southern England. Cecilia approached her thirties, an age considered by many women as the "ideal age", but she bought her clothes in shops reserved for large sizes. She wanted to lose weight at any price, but did not know how to get started. "The more I swelled, the more I was depressed ... I totally lost my confidence, both at work with my friends. " In just one year, Cecile literally melted. With a size 50-52, she now has a recognizable figure with a waist of 38. She lost over 30 kilos and 167 cm distributed throughout the body! She says she spent a challenging year, but "without Curves, I could not have done!" In addition to her phenomenal weight loss and greatly improved fitness, Cecile also sees life in a much more positive way. Today she has more confidence in herself and feels more "balanced". Her health has also greatly improved, her attitude is positive and style of living has improved, elements that have brought her closer to her family. According to Cecile, this Curves adventure has changed her life. "It's the best decision I ever made."