"50/50" (the movie) & My Decision to Become a CPT

I'm not normally one to write movie reviews, nor is this posting intended to be all that groundbreaking. But I recently rented 50/50, the 2011 movie starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Inspired by a true story, the movie is about Adam (Gordon-Levitt), a 27-year-old who suddenly learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease. The movie's title refers to Adam's chances of survival with his particular type of cancer.

Having never faced a cancer diagnosis myself, I don't necessarily want to compare my own heart health journey with that of a cancer patient. However, I found myself relating pretty closely to Adam's journey, from having an overwhelming number of hospital and doctor's visits to dealing with the emotional burden of processing a ton of new information in order to make the best decision for yourself. In my mind, the movie provides just the right balance of serious and comical, and it offers (what I found to be) a pretty accurate representation of a young adult's struggle after suddenly being blindsided with a serious health issue. I think this quote from the movie's website sums it up quite nicely:

"50/50 is the story of a guy's transformative and, yes, sometimes funny journey to health ... reminding us that friendship and love, no matter what bizarre turns they take, are the greatest healers."

Without a doubt, friendship, love, and humor were extremely important while I was dealing with my own health challenges of 2011. And I would say that the journey was transformative for me, as well. I recently decided to pursue my certification as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Although I have always enjoyed being active, I never really thought about working in the health and fitness industry. However, learning what I did about other CHD survivors over the past few months made me realize how fortunate I am to be this healthy; and it sparked a new interest in a field I never even considered before.

I'm excited about this new journey on which I am about to embark. While there are many organizations offering the CPT credential, one of the things that most attracted me to ACE is its Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist Certification. While I expect that I will enjoy working with a variety of clients, I have a particular interest in working with individuals who are at risk for or are recovering from cardiovascular issues, and this advanced certification will allow me to do just that.