Woman Told She’d Lose Muscle During Chemo—She Had Other Plans

Hearing the words “it’s cancer” turned Mia Cassella’s world upside down, along with a warning about weight and muscle loss from chemotherapy.

The diagnosis was difficult to process, but the 21-year-old physical education student from Holden, Massachusetts, was determined not to let it define her or take control. So, during 12 rounds of treatment using drugs to kill or stop cancer cells from growing, she continued to work out—even on the days when she didn’t feel like it.

She told Newsweek: “Going through chemotherapy, every small win added up, and each victory reminded me that while cancer might take away things like my hair or my energy, it wouldn’t take away my passion for lifting and working out.”