Boxing for Mental Health
18-year-old Isla MacIntosh discusses how boxing helps her cope with her mental stressors
Taneisha: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your experience with childhood cancer?
Isla: I was diagnosed with leukemia when I was four years old and have been in remission since the age of seven. I work at a golf course in Ottawa and I just finished my first year in the Behavioural Science Program at St. Lawrence College.
Taneisha: Other than your family, does anyone else know about your diagnosis? Did you have to miss any school due to your cancer and its treatment?
Isla: My parents mentioned it to people they knew and our surrounding neighbours and, of course, my school knew. I missed kindergarten entirely so my first year attending school in person was in Grade 1. Everyone was very supportive.
Taneisha: Do you feel you continue to get the support you need?
Isla: My sister has done everything she could to support me ever since I was young. She pretty much gave up her childhood because of me. In my early teens, I realized how big my diagnosis really was, and I needed to find an outlet to relieve stress. At 14, boxing became that outlet. My whole family is supportive of my boxing.
Taneisha: How did you discover boxing?
Isla: I found this youth recreational boxing class in Ottawa where I grew up. The coach was the first female boxing coach. She was a big inspiration to me because she had cancer so I felt that I could relate to her. She also helped me find a great boxing school when I started going to school in Kingston. Now I train 3-4 days in person and on the other days, I do dryland training. Dryland training means conditioning, running, weights and other strength activities.
Taneisha: How did boxing help you with your mental health stressors and how did it help you get through your first year of college?
Isla: When I moved away for school in Kingston, I found a safe place for boxing with nice people, which helped me not worry as much about school. Boxing is very technical. When you are in the middle of it, you have to focus on boxing and nothing else. It takes you out of any stressful situation you might feel you are in.
Taneisha: What are your goals—both for boxing and your education?
Isla: I like to compete so my goal for boxing would be to go to nationals. My goal for school is to find a full-time job that relates to behavioural science.
Taneisha: Do you have any advice for other childhood cancer survivors who are going through something similar to what you are going through?
Isla: My advice would be to find an outlet that is important to you, especially if you are older and there are external pressures. It could be sports, music or something else. An outlet can be a safe place for you to express yourself.
Taneisha Kandiah was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 18 months old. She has been in remission since the age of three. She recently graduated from the University of Ottawa in life sciences.
Life After Childhood Cancer – A Conference for Survivors
From setting life goals and dealing with the long-term health effects of treatment, to telling a new love interest about their experience with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer may struggle with many issues.
From October 16 – 18, 2015, POGO and Camp Oochigeas will present Life After Childhood Cancer, the third POGO survivor conference to address key issues survivors themselves have identified as being important to their health and well-being.
Matthew is a proud high school graduate, a college grad and a survivor. He has ongoing physical and cognitive challenges brought on by his disease and its treatment. He has difficulty with fine motor coordination, and a hard time listening and translating that information on paper. But he is driven to succeed and perseveres. Instead of taking notes by hand, he uses a laptop. If he doesn’t understand something, Matthew has no problem asking for help or researching until he figures it out. Matthew will attend the survivor conference for the first time this year.
“I’m looking forward to the survivor conference,” says Matthew. “I'm curious to hear from other survivors about their experiences and to share mine.”
In past years survivors of all ages have attended the conference and say it has helped them to better answer questions from others who have not experienced cancer.
“The conference aims to address educational and information needs in the context of social and recreational interaction – a combination we have found addresses survivors’ needs in a unique fashion, directly applicable to their daily life,” says Dr. Mark Greenberg, Senior Adviser, Policy & Clinical Affairs at POGO.
Practical approaches to their issues, like fertility and the disease’s impact on their families, are presented by leading experts, and also by other survivors. Survivors leave the conference knowing what questions to ask of their family doctor, who may never see another survivor in their practice.
“I’m happy that some sessions are run by other cancer survivors because it’s good to know I’m not the only one going through this,” says a past conference participant.
As for Matthew, his list of questions is building.
“I'm very interested to see what I can learn that will help me in the future,” he says.
While no one wants to think about cancer after they have beaten it, the thought of attending Life After Childhood Cancer would be one that is not wasted.
Get details about the 2015 Ooch/POGO Survivor Conference.
