In this episode, Maryanne Haggerty sits down with her lifelong friend of over 20 years, Manal Suleiman Shurafa — a pharmacist, a Palestinian American, a mother of two, and the author of When Hard Lilies Cry, a memoir chronicling her 26-year journey battling two cancers and preventing two more.

Manal opens with a truth that reframes the entire premise of this show: nobody chooses to be unbreakable. Life makes you that way. And resilience, she argues, is born from softness — soft enough to hug your children, strong enough to survive their rejection. Like the lily on her book’s cover: delicate to look at, giving its beauty away freely, and yet strong enough that even when it dries and the petals turn transparent, it endures.

Listeners will hear about:

* Why she titled her memoir When Hard Lilies Cry — and what lilies taught her about women, strength, and giving

* The hardest moment of her diagnosis: telling her sons, then eight and five, and watching them break in front of her

* Catching her children standing in her doorway at night, checking to see if she was still breathing

* The “characters” she developed to survive — the mother, the patient, the wife, the woman in the mirror — and learning when to be which one

* Being a woman of science who made her biggest medical decisions on gut instinct: choosing total mastectomy and total hysterectomy against her doctors’ advice, twice saving her life

* Why “listen and don’t criticize” is the single best thing you can offer someone facing a diagnosis

* Why asking “why me?” is not complaining — and how that question ultimately strengthened her faith

* Writing while it was happening: journaling her feelings in real time, and how getting it out of her system let her step outside the picture and see clearly

* Losing her father, and discovering that surviving cancer twice did not prepare her for that grief

* Her honest, uncomforting, deeply comforting promise: it will not get easier, but you will find a way to live with it

Manal’s advice for anyone in the middle of a tribulation is simple. Speak about it. Write it down. Don’t worry about being criticized. And if you love someone who is suffering: listen, be available, and don’t push. They will talk when they are ready.

When Hard Lilies Cry is available on Amazon and can be ordered through Barnes & Noble.

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#BreastCancerSurvivor #ThyroidCancer #CancerSurvivorStory #WhenHardLiliesCry #ManalShurafa #CancerMemoir #MastectomyJourney #CancerAndFaith #ParentingThroughCancer #WhyMe #GriefAndHealing #CancerSupport #WomenOfStrength #Resilience #UnbreakableSpirits #MaryanneHaggerty #StrengthAndResilience #HealingJourney #WritingToHeal #CancerAwareness

Stop chasing the perfect workout. In this clip, exercise physiologist and aquatic therapy specialist Connie Jasinskas tells Maryanne Haggerty the one rule that outlasts every fitness trend: the best exercise in the world is the one you will actually do. If you dread it, you'll skip it. If it hurts, you'll quit. Find what moves you — literally. Listen to Unbreakable Spirits on Spotify:

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaryanneHaggerty Read more on Substack: https://healthyfitnessbymaryanne.substack.com/podcast #MovementIsMedicine #FitnessMotivation #MotionIsLotion #ExerciseTips #HealthyHabits #UnbreakableSpirits #WellnessTips #MoveMore #FitnessMindset #KeepMoving

In this episode, Maryanne sits down with Connie Jasinskas from Canada — an exercise physiologist, aquatic therapy specialist, breast cancer survivor, and the woman behind the phrase that has stuck with Maryanne for 25 years: motion is lotion. The two met through the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute in the early 2000s, and this conversation is a reunion of two kindred spirits who have spent their careers helping people move, heal, and laugh their way through life's hardest chapters.

Connie's résumé is remarkable — from land fitness instructor to therapeutic aquatics pioneer, from factory floor wellness consultant to pain education specialist — but what makes her truly unbreakable is her philosophy: keep it simple, keep it joyful, and never stop moving, even if moving means taking a deep breath. Listeners will hear about:

* How Connie transitioned from land fitness to aquatic therapy and why the water became her treatment of choice for people with chronic and persistent pain

* Her own breast cancer diagnosis in 1997 — and how it led her to write Prescription Laughter, a book designed to help newly diagnosed patients access their funny bone as part of healing

* Dragon boating with a breast cancer survivor team — and competing in New Zealand, Australia, and across Canada

* The science of pain: why all pain comes from the brain, what that actually means, and how breathing is the doorway between the conscious and automatic nervous system

* The "happiness basket" — a practical, free tool for managing pain and anxiety in the moment

* Why smiling actually reduces pain (and the research to back it up) "Movement snacks" — small, accessible bursts of movement for people who can't get to a gym or are afraid to start

* Her free online course on coping with persistent pain, plus the Back Whisperer course for core and back training

* The Aqua Leadership Excellence program, Aqua Bility instructor training, and floating fitness classes — resources available to both instructors and everyday movers

* Why the best exercise in the world is the one you will actually do — and how to find yours

Connie's closing message is one to carry with you: be as kind to yourself as you would be to your best friend. Celebrate the little wins. Baby steps count. And if you're still working on it — that alone is worth a pat on the back. Find me on Spotify:

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Find me on Substack: https://healthyfitnessbymaryanne.substack.com/ #AquaticTherapy #AquaFitness #MotionIsLotion #ChronicPainRelief #PersistentPain #PainEducation #FibromyalgiaSupport #BreastCancerSurvivor #DragonBoating #CancerAndFitness #ExercisePhysiology #MovementAsMedicine #HealingThroughMovement #WaterFitness #MovementSnacks #HealthConfidence #LaughterHeals #MindBodyConnection #BreathingForPain #UnbreakableSpirits #StrengthAndResilience #WellnessPodcast #HealthPodcast #FunctionalFitness #CancerRecovery

In this episode, Maryanne sits down with her cousin Patricia Korey — a former child advocate attorney and classical pianist who has been living with metastatic breast cancer for over eight years.

Patricia's story starts long before her 2017 diagnosis: a career-ending arm injury at 21, a pivot to law school, and then caregiving for her husband through his own terminal lung cancer battle before facing her diagnosis just months later. What sets Patricia apart is her quiet refusal to frame illness as a fight.

She simply keeps living — pacing herself, listening to her body, leaning on community, and finding joy in the everyday. Listeners will hear about:

* How a pianist's arm injury at 21 redirected her entire life — into law, advocacy, and a deeper understanding of the body

* Being blindsided by a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis and what eight-plus years of ongoing treatment really looks like

* Managing brain fog, fatigue, and neuropathy — and how she advocated for a medication change that transformed her quality of life

* Why rest isn't weakness: "napping is resilience"

* The power of community — from a local breast cancer Facebook group to Camp Bravehearts, horseback riding, and yes, a zip line

* Wisdom passed down from her grandmother and parents (she's the youngest of ten) that has carried her through every challenge

* Her simple, steady philosophy: do what you can, don't beat yourself up for what you can't, and be grateful for the way you are

This episode is for anyone living with a chronic illness, anyone who has walked alongside a sick loved one, and anyone who needs a reminder that resilience doesn't have to be loud — sometimes it looks like taking a walk, tending your garden, and showing up for one more day. Find me on Spotify:

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Find me on Substack: https://healthyfitnessbymaryanne.substack.com/ #MetastaticBreastCancer #BreastCancerSurvivor #Stage4Cancer #MBCWarrior #LivingWithCancer #CancerResilience #ChronicIllnessLife #CancerCommunity #CampBravehearts #CancerCaregiver #ExerciseAndCancer #ListenToYourBody #WomensHealth #HealingJourney #CancerPodcast #UnbreakableSpirits #StrengthAndResilience #WellnessPodcast

"Don't treat me like a statistic - I'll create my own statistic." 💪 Nick's journey with pancreatic cancer mirrors what we're watching at the 2026 Winter Paralympics: athletes refusing to be defined by limitations, creating their own path forward.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to overcoming challenges. Whether you're fighting cancer, managing chronic pain, or rebuilding strength after injury - YOUR path is unique. Just like Paralympic athletes train differently based on their individual needs, your healing journey deserves a personalized approach.

At Healthy Fitness & Aquatics, we build programs around YOUR body, YOUR goals, YOUR story. Not statistics. Not generic plans. You.

Nick refused to be put in a box. The Paralympians refuse to be put in a box. What box are you ready to break out of? Want to help yourself heal yourself?

Reach out to me for a free consultation at www.healthyfitnessandaquatics.com.

#UnbreakableSpirits #ReachForTheGold #PancreaticCancerSurvivor #CancerFitness #AdaptiveFitness #SeniorFitness #HealthyFitnessAndAquatics #Paralympics2026 #PersonalizedFitness #CancerRecovery #StrengthInAdversity

This week, I interviewed my longtime client and friend, Bill Rose. Bill was diagnosed with infantile paralysis (polio) at age 5, wearing a leg brace and facing bullying at school. A pivotal moment came when his nurse, Nurse McNamara, showed him a room full of children in iron lungs—making him realize he had to make the best of what he had.

Through strict daily exercise routines and the support of his family, Bill transformed himself from a child with a limp into a co-captain of championship football and basketball teams, earning a scholarship to Temple University where he competed in track, basketball, and fencing.

Bill went on to train Olympic athletes, work with Paralympic programs, and even carry the Olympic torch. His decades of service include running summer camps, Ronald McDonald camps, and motivating countless children and adults in the Philadelphia/Montgomery County area.

Key Takeaways:

* Don’t let others define your limitations

* Consistent daily effort compounds over time

* Physical challenges can become unexpected blessings

* Never stop learning and improving

* Your body is a machine—fuel it properly

In the first episode of Unbreakable Spirits, host Maryanne Haggerty sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Nick Pifani to explore what real resilience looks like over decades, not moments.

Nick is a pancreatic cancer survivor, endurance athlete, and patient advocate who refused to let statistics or outside definitions determine his outcome. Diagnosed at stage three with a low survival prognosis, Nick shares how mindset, movement, family support, and persistence shaped his path through treatment, surgery, and recovery.

Together, Maryanne and Nick discuss the role of exercise during cancer treatment, the importance of mental toughness, breaking overwhelming challenges into manageable goals, and why accepting help can be just as important as strength. Nick also reflects on advocacy work with the Pancreatic Cancer Network, American Cancer Society, and Fox Chase Cancer Center, and why supporting newly diagnosed patients remains central to his life.

This episode sets the tone for Unbreakable Spirits, a series focused on strength, resilience, and refusing to give up when life delivers its hardest challenges.

Guest: Nick Pifani

Host: Maryanne Haggerty

Presented by Healthy Fitness and Aquatics

www.healthyfitnessandaquatics.com

Resources mentioned:Pancreatic Cancer Network – pancan.org