This month, we’re thrilled to spotlight Lia O’Connor, Senior Program Coordinator of the BfitBwell Cancer Exercise Program and head of the Wellness Committee at the CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, as our Wellness Warrior. With deep compassion and purpose, Lia supports cancer survivors through evidence-based, human-centered exercise programming that has already helped more than a thousand individuals. Beyond BfitBwell, Lia brings the same energy and heart to fostering a more connected and collaborative culture among staff at AHWC.
In our conversation, she reflects on what makes BfitBwell so effective, how she balances science with empathy, and why gratitude and genuine connection are at the core of her leadership.
Wellness Connections: BfitBwell has supported over a thousand cancer survivors—what do you think makes this program so effective and so unique?
Lia O'Connor: BfitBwell is a unique program for many reasons – the first being that it is a structured program intended to give our cancer patients the tools they need to efficiently and safely strength train on their own, during and after the program. This structure separates us from personal training, as our mission is to support those living with cancer and beyond, while teaching the foundations of a safe and effective exercise regimen. We aim to build their knowledge and body awareness, so they are confident to graduate from the program with autonomy in a fitness setting. My other personal belief is that the team’s internal culture establishes our uniqueness. Every team member possesses an innate desire to help and care for this special population, and the program at large, which is a driving factor to our success and effectiveness.
Wellness Connections: The program is rooted in evidence-based exercise, but it’s also deeply human. How do you balance science with the heart when supporting people through their cancer journey?
Lia O'Connor: This is a great question. We balance this scale by implementing our standardized training to accommodate specific physical limitations while catering exercise prescriptions to a person’s fitness goals. We have every participant express their goals at the beginning of their program start and tailor their prescriptions to their goals. By creating a safe and effective prescription for participants and specifying what their personal goals are, it allows us to humanize their experience in the program. Balancing the heart is a difficult element but it is one of the most fulfilling pieces of working with this population. We want to be the listening ear to our participants and support them emotionally and physically as they go through their journey. By developing strong relationships with our participants, we’re able to keep this scale in balance.
Wellness Connections: What do you think is the most misunderstood aspect of incorporating exercise into cancer recovery, and how do you address that misconception?
Lia O'Connor: One of the biggest misconceptions is that exercise will increase fatigue levels in cancer patients. However, exercise has shown to reduce fatigue levels for individuals going through a cancer exercise program. We address this head-on in a participant’s first training session and express that although fatigue is a part of treatment, movement will counteract this feeling and reduce this feeling as exercise is maintained.
"By creating a safe and effective prescription for participants and specifying what their personal goals are, it allows us to humanize their experience in the program."
Wellness Connections: As head of the Wellness Committee at AHWC, what is your vision for cultivating a culture of wellness among the staff at the center?
Lia O'Connor: As head of the Wellness Committee at AHWC, my vision is to create a collaborative center amongst the many individuals in the center. The center is unique in that many, many diverse groups work under the same roof, but with little to no cross collaboration, this can cause a feeling of being siloed in our own groups. My efforts aim to mesh all AHWC staff as one unified group. I aim to break down workplace separation and strengthen the unity through workplace events. My goal is that AHWC staff members have strong desire to attend work events, and continue to build new relationships with their officemates.
Wellness Connections: How do you encourage staff to connect and build relationships through the wellness initiatives?
Lia O'Connor: A lot of my encouragement stems from my many unique and genuine relationships with individuals in the building. I tend to leverage my relationships with staff to enhance workplace event attendance and connect individuals at these events; I feel strongly that staff morale is tied to their attendance rates at AHWC events. I don’t shy away from reminding my fellow colleagues about upcoming AHWC events and imprint that their attendance is needed. Expressing gratitude to staff members for their attendance is a continued effort of mine – whether that’s in passing, directly in moment at an event, or when I’m presenting at an event. I strongly believe that expressing gratitude enhances our overall desire to work at AHWC and be a part of this unique community. An additional effort I maintain for relationship building is by introducing new employees to one another and connecting their common interests. Starting a new position can be intimidating, and I hope that I can be the icebreaker for many staff members.
Wellness Connections: What inspires you most about the people you work with, whether that’s patients, coworkers, or community members?
Lia O'Connor: My answer to this question is a little bit of each. However, I think the patients inspire me the most. I am constantly reminded to never take a day for granted and to be thankful for all that is in my life. Having the opportunity to work with cancer patients is not one I take for granted. Our participants are such a special population – no matter what distresses are occurring in their lives, they show up for their appointments with a positive attitude, kindness, and a yearning to work hard. They may not know it, but in our conversations, I’m consistently reminded to never take things for granted and to not sweat the little stuff – there are bigger arenas to focus on! They inspire me each day that no matter what is going on in my life, I can still express kindness to others, maintain a positive outlook, and most of all, persevere through all of life’s challenges.
To learn more about BfitBwell and its programs supporting cancer survivors through personalized exercise, visit their webpage here.
