Hyrox, Breast Cancer, and Me

“I gave birth to strength, and it saved my life.” After a diagnosis last November, 49-year-old Caroline Chow endured surgery and radiation—and then she discovered Hyrox. Here, she tells her story. 

It was my 18-year-old daughter who first put Hyrox on my radar, shortly after my breast cancer diagnosis last November. She suggested we participate in Hyrox as a mother/daughter team. I said yes instantly. I have always been active, and once the initial shock and fear of the ‘C’ word had subsided, I knew I needed to maintain my positivity. I needed something to look forward to. We signed up to the New York competition this past June.

It was a bonding experience for us to compete side by side. It was also humbling. I’ve completed half-marathons, Spartan Races, and Tough Mudders, but Hyrox is different. It demands both strength and endurance. Afterwards, we were both thinking about what we’d do differently next time. The atmosphere at Hyrox is incredible. I felt revitalized. Soon after, I signed up to Hyrox in Boston with my friend from the gym, who is 27. We competed in September, and I got a 14-minute personal best. It was an awesome weekend.

Receiving my diagnosis last winter was difficult. I kept it private, besides telling some close friends and some other breast cancer survivors in the gym. I think I was ashamed to say the word “cancer” out loud. I didn’t want to taint the image of being the “fit mom” or the “strong woman” in the gym; I wanted to avoid questions or pity. I cried. I felt really defeated at times. But I wasn’t going to let cancer beat me. I underwent surgery in April, followed by 20 radiation sessions. My kids fist bumped me, and told me I was going to be fine.

To be honest, that made me feel worse for a short time. I was like, ‘Wait, nobody’s sympathizing with me?’ But my really good friend told me it was because my kids knew that I was strong, and that this wasn’t going to take me down. She told me I’d bounce back, and that my kids were being strong for me. I knew she was right.

Competing in Hyrox with my daughter was the first part of my own recovery, in a way. It was me reclaiming myself. I didn’t want cancer to define me. As a mom, and a wife, and a former fashion executive with an Ivy League education, I had previously placed a lot of my identity on those things. As an Asian American woman, there aren’t a lot of women like me in the gym; my mom was born and raised in Taiwan and China, and her philosophy was that girls can’t play sports. But the gym has been where I have discovered myself. Fitness has helped me find my confidence.

One of the hardest parts of discovering that I had breast cancer was being told I couldn’t work out for six weeks. For the last 30 years, I was that woman who packed her workout clothes before her dresses when going on vacation; my husband and I climbed the highest peak in Japan recently. I wasn’t born with a fast metabolism or an athletic frame. The way I look is the result of years of hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Those six weeks were the longest of my life. 

Caroline and her daughter competing at Hyrox NYC in June 2025; Sportgraf

My diagnosis gave me a new perspective, but Hyrox has completely transformed my vision of what being healthy is. The workouts are dynamic, and fun, but it’s made me realise that training smart does not always mean training hard. I’ve stopped overtraining, and stopped following a program just because it’s written on paper. I’ve made time for rest and recovery, which I always neglected because I was just ‘go, go, go.’ One of the biggest lessons Hyrox has taught me is the importance of listening to my body. Cancer taught me that too.

Since June, I’ve been sticking to two Hyrox-focused workouts a week, totaling 60-90 minutes each. I do wall balls and the SkiErg. I’ve cut my long runs back to once a week. On other days, I lift heavy, though I’m not as disciplined as my kids. They plan their workouts by muscle group! I get tempted by too many group classes, which makes it harder to stay on track, but social exercising and community are so valuable for me.

There are moments of doubt. Sometimes I think to myself that I am never going to get back to where I was before. But Hyrox has taught me that success isn’t about perfection. It’s about consistency, sustainability, and showing up for yourself. I’m still setting big goals. I’m still lifting heavy and chasing better times. But I’m coming at it from a place of strength, not self-imposed pressure. I want to grow, build my courage and prove to myself that I can do hard things. Even at my age.

My body has changed. My cancer medication has put me into perimenopause. My scar tissue hasn’t quite healed. Sometimes I get sizzling pains inside my breast when I lift. I’ve realized over time that I want to speak out about it. The amount of women I know with breast cancer is alarming. One in seven of us will be diagnosed. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, how well you eat or how perfectly you plan your workouts. I see my purpose as being an advocate, not just for fitness but for awareness, early detection, and self-compassion. I hope my story can encourage even one person to get that mammogram.

Nothing will beat crossing the finish line with my daughter, hand in hand. I was so proud of us; we were aiming to finish our race in around 90 minutes, but we crossed the line in just over 88. I want to carry on inspiring my daughters. I want to instill in them a sense of resilience, showing them when life knocks them down, they can get back up and stand tall. I want to be strong for them. I want to be an example, to prove that a woman can have kids, a family, a job, but that they can have muscles, too.

Now, almost six months out, I see how far I’ve come. Friends tell me I don’t look a day over 40. I feel stronger than ever. I smile whenever I hear that, because I know that strength isn’t just physical. It was born from showing up for myself, for my family, and for my future.

I gave birth to strength and it saved my life.