Strength Beyond the Gym
When the NAU Health Sciences Department launched its free employee workout class as part of the Employee Assistance and Wellness program, the goal was simple: support the wellbeing of faculty and staff while giving NAU students hands-on experience leading real clients. Led by Health Sciences faculty member Frank Micale, and supported by student instructors, the twice-weekly class has grown into a community of nearly 30 regular participants. What many may not realize is that beyond improving strength, balance, and endurance, the class has also quietly changed lives, including that of Anne Doyle, a member of the NAU communitywho is generously sharing her story.
Anne joined the employee fitness program in February of 2024 and was paired with student instructor Tina McGee, who was completing her bachelor’s degree in Fitness Wellness. From the start, Anne embraced the process. She saw real gains and, as she puts it, started to feel “addicted to exercise.” The camaraderie of the class energized her, and building muscle felt empowering. Tina remembers that energy clearly. “When she first joined class, she brought such positive energy and consistency,” Tina shares. “Seeing her dedication to improving her strength and health was inspiring.”
Then, in April, everything changed. What Anne first thought were allergies turned into severe breathing trouble. One morning, after noticing her fingertips had turned blue, she scheduled an urgent care appointment; reluctantly choosing an appointment time that meant missing her exercise class. She even stopped by beforehand to deliver cookies she had baked for the class, apologizing through tears. Later that day, after four liters of fluid were drained from her lung and imaging was completed, she received devastating news: stage four ovarian cancer. Chemotherapy began in May, followed by a full hysterectomy in August and more chemo in the fall. Yet even in the midst of her diagnosis, Anne reached out to Frank asking for guidance on how to keep exercising during treatment.
The months that followed were filled with infusions, surgeries, neuropathy, and muscle loss. Chemo affected her balance and strength, but Anne returned to class whenever she could throughout 2025. Student instructors adapted movements, modified balance work, and helped her gradually rebuild endurance and muscle. For Tina, the experience reshaped what she understood about her profession. “When she shared her diagnosis, it truly put into perspective how powerful movement and community can be during life’s hardest moments,” she reflects. “As student instructors, we focus on exercise science and programming, but experiences like working with Anne remind us that what we’re really building is resilience, confidence, and connections.”
Today, Anne is once again preparing to return to class after another surgery. She acknowledges that it can feel like starting over, but she does so with the same honesty and humor that inspired those around her.
Though Tina is currently back home in Alaska, she remains closely connected to the NAU community. She was recently accepted into NAU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Hybrid Program and will return to Flagstaff for clinical work in the fall. “Working with Anne was incredibly meaningful to me,” Tina says. “Her determination and her will to give her all no matter what is something I’ll never forget. I know she will continue to crush any challenges that come her way.”
What began as a free employee fitness class has become something much deeper, a living example of experiential learning, interprofessional connection, and the profound impact of movement. For Anne, it has been a source of strength and motivation through the most difficult chapter of her life. For Tina, it helped shape her future in physical therapy. And for our NAU community, it stands as a reminder that sometimes the most powerful outcomes of education happen far beyond the classroom.
