The Comedian Coordinator

The Comedian Coordinator

“I went from being star of the stage to a great lollop on the couch and I was brought back to life by the companionship and exercises of the YWCA Encore programme.”

Carol Tucker was a comedian for many years and lives in Papakura, South Auckland. She discovered the YWCA Encore programme after she had breast cancer surgery.

“The second time that I attended the YWCA Encore programme coordinator Alison Searle told me that I gave such a lift to the women with my humour that I would make a great coordinator. I think that I might give something back. I love meeting all the ladies and I think I can make a difference in their lives. I could start off as the comedian assistant!”

Carol will undertake the week long YWCA Encore training in November.

The YWCA Encore programme incorporates gentle exercise, healthy lifestyle information, relaxation and peer support. Based around pool and floor exercises and relaxation techniques, Encore is fun, therapeutic and free! The programme has proven to have benefits for all women who have undergone surgery, whether it was 10 weeks or 10 years ago.

“The YWCA Encore programme isn’t just exercise, important as that is to women as they battle cancer,” says Connie Zein one of the South Auckland Coordinators, “it is the camaraderie and the ability to talk about the whole breast cancer experience that is one of the hallmarks of the programme.”

Classes are run for 2 hours every week for eight weeks, with a maximum of 14 women each programme. There is a significant demand for Encore as it fills a gap in post-surgery support.

Carol is looking forward to the training. “I’m telling myself that the training is like an audition and I have lots of nervous excitement! In the meantime I’ll keep fit by exercising in the local pool almost daily; they now have a walk and talk lane!”

Enrol now for Free YWCA Encore programmes in South Auckland starting October 2011 in Takanini and Patumahoe and February 2012 in Takanini. Programme information on YWCA website: www.akywca.org.nz

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