Meet Rori Zura | Cancer Exercise Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rori Zura and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rori, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and moved to Massapequa, NY where I grew up with my siblings. I became very interested in soccer and dance at a young age which carried through my adult life. I played on my varsity soccer team from my freshman year until graduation and planned on continuing my soccer career at Arizona State University until I got hurt. Although I couldn’t play on a collegiate level, that didn’t stop me from playing on a co-ed team while attending university. I planned to study Interior Design while at ASU, but switched majors during my Junior year to be more business-focused. I graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Design Studies and planned on joining an Interior Design firm until the market crashed and jobs in this field became few and far between.

I moved back to New York and started working at a local hotel as a front desk agent to help pay the bills until I could find something else. This led me to land a job in New York City at a boutique hotel where I climbed the ranks from front desk agent to front desk manager. I eventually became an Executive Assistant to General Manager.

Although I loved working in the hotel industry, I couldn’t help but feel this wasn’t the path for me. Eventually, I accepted a job back on Long Island as a Marketing Assistant at a commercial real estate company where I was in charge of creating graphics and flyers for commercial properties. This job seemed to be more in line with having a background in design and was more enjoyable being able to put my skills to good use.

However, this all vanished when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and I was unfortunately, let go from my position. Not shortly after I became diagnosed with an aggressive form of Breast Cancer at the age of 33 years old.

After having worked a full-time job while juggling several part-time jobs throughout my life, I took this time to not work at all and focus on fighting for my life. My inner athlete allowed me to spend almost every day being active while undergoing treatment (with the approval of my oncologist) and I researched a lot on how physical activity was beneficial for those who were receiving treatment for cancer.

For the first time in my life, I was genuinely happy. I loved working out, and teaching others how to move their bodies in a safe and effective manner.

I promised myself that once I had my surgery, I would go back to school to get my certificate and officially be able to train others who were in similar situations and help get them through this difficult time in their lives.

Unfortunately, during my surgery, my medical team found that my cancer had spread and I would need to undergo more treatment. I was so mad and upset but having that competitive nature within me, I channeled those feelings into keeping my word and went back to school virtually.

While I finished my 25 rounds of radiation and 6 more months of oral chemotherapy I attended the National Academy of Sports Medicine and then the Cancer Exercise Training Institute. Trying to study while fighting for my life wasn’t an easy task but I did it and gained my official certification as a Cancer Exercise Specialist!

As weird as this may sound, I feel like getting cancer was meant to be.

I had always wondered what my life would have been like if I had continued on the path of playing soccer more “professionally”, being in that world of physical activity and now here I am finally living it.

Going through the various jobs of my past and being diagnosed with cancer has allowed me to really flourish into the person I was always meant to be – help others live their lives to the fullest.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I had been finding lumps in my breasts since 2016 and have a very rich history of family members with all types of cancers, especially breast. After finding out that I had very dense, and cystic breasts, I wanted to have a preventative mastectomy to try and avoid going through the same thing I saw my family members go through.

Unfortunately, I was unable to receive such a procedure without having to pay for it out of pocket. Fast forward to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and I found another lump, but I brushed it off as being just another cyst.

When it didn’t seem to go away after finishing my period, I knew something was wrong. It was then that I officially became diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer on august 17th, 2020 at the age of 33 years old.

I’ve always been an active person, my mom used to say when I was a baby I learned to run before I could walk and I’ve been on the go ever since. I wasn’t allowing cancer to stop that part of my life, so I learned how to adapt and overcome any obstacle that stood in my way during treatment.

I created my company Foobs & Fitness with the intention of bridging the gap between the medical world and the fitness world. With this company, I’m able to provide patients with a safe, and customized training program that correlates with their current state of diagnosis.

As a breast cancer survivor, I’m dedicated to educating and empowering those affected by cancer, on how to live a more active lifestyle before, during, and after diagnosis while advocating for better change in cancer patients’ lives.

A cancer diagnosis completely changes your mindset. Understanding that you’re no longer exercising to fit into those “skinny” jeans, or that cute new bikini, is a difficult way of thinking to reverse.

You are now staying active, just to stay alive.

With the ever-growing number of studies showing a positive effect on reducing the risk of getting cancer, reducing the side effects caused by cancer treatment, and reducing the risk of reoccurrence, I want to cause a tidal wave of change within our healthcare system.

There may not always be a surefire way to avoid receiving a cancer diagnosis (due to genetics, environment, etc..), but there are lots of options out there for us to help ourselves in a positive way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in New York we’ve literally got everything! From the busy streets of Manhattan, to the vineyards on Long Island, all the way up to Niagra falls. Every time my friends come to visit me from out of town though, their first stop is always to grab a bagel. It’s gotten to be a little running joke between my friends where when 2 of them were pregnant, I was shipping them local bagels to their homes across the country because they were having pregnancy cravings for them!

I love being able to check out new restaurants and local breweries here in New York, and we definitely have a ton to try! I don’t think you could ever eat at the same place 2x (unless you wanted to).

Summer time you can catch us at the local beaches and in the winter you’ll find us up north snowboarding the “ice coast” mountains!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Fxck Cancer organization was always by my side during my entire diagnosis. I was a part of their subdivision called the Fxck Cancer Endurance team which helped keep me motivated and determined in staying active through treatment. They’re not here to help people focus on having cancer because we don’t need to give it any more attention than it already has. Their goal is to build patients up and motivate them to continue the fight. They also work so hard to make sure cancer doesn’t take any more lives or destroy any more families.

I had been following them since my husband’s diagnosis of cancer in 2012 and now it was my turn to embrace the motto of F-ing cancer.

This organization is special to me on so many levels but they definitely deserve to have the spotlight because they spend so much of their time ensuring that cancer patients get positive & enriching life changing experiences for themselves.

Website: www.foobsandfitness.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/foobsandfitness

Facebook: www.facebook.com/foobsandfitness

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@foobsandfitness

Other: www.tiktok.com/@foobsandfitness

Image Credits
Merlos Media, Maven Jade Photography