Bodybuilder Kicks CF’s Ass, Inspires Others Through Fitness IG
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Bodybuilder Kicks CF’s Ass, Inspires Others Through Fitness IG

Her journey has been so uplifting and motivating for others that she now has close to a whopping 11,000 followers!

3211
Bodybuilder Kicks CF’s Ass, Inspires Others Through Fitness IG

A 23-year-old from Connecticut is making great strides against cystic fibrosis with a dedication to fitness and bodybuilding.

In just a short few months, Sam took what little control she had over her health into her own hands and transformed herself into a 150-pound-and-counting bodybuilder.

Sam says she had always looked to fitness as a source of coping with the disease. However, as her illness progressed, remaining athletic became difficult. In search of something to replace the regular sports she was playing, she started going to the gym and looking at workouts on bodybuilding.com.

Olympic competitor and bodybuilder Dana Linn Bailey became Sam's inspiration for getting active.

In 2012, Sam obtained her certification in personal training.

And not long after, she was the weakest she'd ever been and landed herself in the ICU with pneumonia, hardly able to walk. After braving and surviving through two collapsed lungs, acute renal failure and a medically induced coma, Sam got to work putting what she had learned in personal training to practice with the goal of rehabilitation and a return to her baseline.

Sam tells me that she realized she could design workouts for herself that best suited her needs both in and outside of the hospital. It was then that her Instagram journey as an inspiration to others with CF began.

Fast forward to 2018, and the fight against CF had reached a new height. The dire need for dedication and routine in her battle against the illness had never been more clear.

Sam Syron's life and health had gone awry, and she was forced to make the grave decision to drive home to Connecticut after an extended stay in San Diego due to the rapid decline of her health. With lung function in the 30s and skyrocketing blood sugar, she drove straight across the country to Boston Children's Hospital, where she was admitted right away.

It was a long few months of recovery. Realizing the unpredictability of her health, she decided to do whatever it would take to get control into her own hands. The whole journey would be documented on her Instagram, @thatbungirl, where she'd call herself the "terminally the illest gym rat."

"I WILL regain everything I've lost during these past months," Sam wrote on an Instagram post in March of 2018. "Just wait and watch what I'm able to accomplish when I put my mind to something."

Using her prior knowledge of fitness workouts and experience as an individual with CF, Sam adopted a rigorous regimen that would consist of completing all of her treatments, taking all of her medications, working out several times a day and eating a high-calorie diet.

Her journey has been so uplifting and motivating for others that she now has close to a whopping 11,000 followers!

"Ever since being out [of the hospital,] I haven't skipped anything," she says. "I do everything on my checklist. " Sam had told me that she previously struggled with compliance. For years, her dry erase board went unused – now it's her "bible," where she documents all of her daily to-dos.

Sam tells me that her profile is to show people that although life may not always be fair, it doesn't mean that one should quit. She says she hopes her Instagram will inspire others to enjoy the moment, work hard and make their health a priority.

With all of the support she has received, Sam believes her dream of one day opening a holistic gym for people with chronic illnesses may just become a reality. She hopes to establish a facility that accepts insurance as payment.

Want to know more about fitness inspiration Sam Syron? Check here and here!

------------

Sam,

The resilience of people fighting chronic illness never ceases to amaze me. You, like many others with CF, inspire me to keep my chin up and continue to give my all in my own fight against CF. I am so excited to share your story and show people that it is in fact possible to put some control of our health back into our own hands.

------------

If you or someone you know would like to share an inspiring CF story, please e-mail Kristy at kristyannwrites@gmail.com.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

48292
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

30673
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

954582
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

176041
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments