Popular Peloton instructor Leanne Hainsby shared on Jan. 27 that she’s privately been undergoing treatment for breast cancer since last summer.
The 35-year-old posted a series of text images to Instagram describing her journey over the last six months. “Two days before my best friend’s [dancer Danielle Hampson] funeral, I found a lump in my breast,” she writes. “That really is a sentence I NEVER imagined writing. After multiple scans and appointments with both consultants and cancer nurses, and being completely terrified for a few weeks, in August 2022, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.”
Hainsby goes on to explain why she decided to keep her illness “very private” until now, writing that she wanted to “show up as normal” and continue to host classes. “My classes have given me a focus, and some sparkle in an otherwise incredibly tough time, so Thank You to the members who had no idea the amount of joy they were bringing to me every day.” However, she also acknowledged that undergoing treatment while grieving her best friend has been “unimaginably tough.”
During her 12 weeks of chemotherapy, Hainsby would teach her live Wednesday morning classes, then head to treatment with her mom. Two of the photos she included in her Instagram carousel showed her in the hospital wearing a cold cap. One text slide reads, “Chemo is no joke. Cold caps are no joke.”
Hainsby has already undergone surgery, so next up is removing her portacath, which is an implanted device that allows easy access to her veins, and then two more weeks of radiotherapy. “I’m ready for it,” she says.
Fellow Peloton instructor and fiancé Ben Alldis commented on her post, saying: “You have shown me time and time again over this last year why i’m the luckiest guy alive that you said yes to marrying me. Showing resilience, grace and still managing to be there for others while you go through this all. Your shining light is shining brighter than ever.”
The couple were able to fit in a round of IVF before starting chemo. “We weren’t mentally prepared, but we got it done and we’re so grateful,” Hainsby says.
Alldis also posted on his own Instagram, saying how “incredibly proud” he is of how she is handling the diagnosis. “I’ve been terrified of the worst, but have tried to maintain as much normality away from the hospital appointments to keep hope,” he writes in the caption. “You’ve been an absolute inspiration to all of us and have taken every step of this journey so far in your stride, with so much grace and with your head held high.”
He goes on to mention the countless hospital appointments for IVF treatments, chemotherapy, check-ups, scans, and injections, saying that “every second of the way I have been proud to stand by your side.”
Ultimately, the trainer hopes her transparency will raise awareness. “I’m young for breast cancer at 35,” she writes in her post. “I went to a doctor the same morning I found the lump, and I was told everything was ok. I trusted my gut and got a second opinion. That saved my life. Check and check again.”
Hainsby also shared that she has had some “very good news” in the last week, but isn’t ready to share more about it. “For now this where I’m at, and this is what feels comfortable to share.” In the meantime, “Treatment will continue for a long time for me, hospital visits are the norm, and I focus on one step at a time.”
Image Source: John Phillips / Getty