Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsy Matthews

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

Sitting in the kitchen with my laptop open and making sure the lighting is just right, I’m about to be interviewed live nationally on the news. I’m nervous… I’m always nervous about these types of things… but this time I’m more nervous because I wasn’t given any interview questions ahead of time to prepare, and I don’t know exactly what they’re going to ask me.

I know I’ll be talking about National Cancer Survivors Day, and what it means to me as a stage 4 incurable cancer patient, and I know they’re going to ask me about my participation in the upcoming Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation Walk for the Cure this fall in Toronto. But what parts of my story are they going to ask me about? I begin to think about all the possible questions and how I’m going to answer them and an even bigger question pops into my head… How did I even get here?

Two and a half years ago I was told that my breast cancer was back, and this time it had spread to my spine and was no longer curable. I was in for the ride of a lifetime… or more accurately, a ride for my life.

Beginning cancer treatment again was daunting because I knew that treatment would never end for me. Sometimes treatment lines work for a few years, sometimes they don’t work at all, and some miracle patients are on them for a long long time. Which patient would I be? All I could do was hope that I’d be one of the lucky ones.

At the same time I was thrown into an entirely new outlook on my life. What really mattered? What didn’t matter at all? If time is limited, how would I reevaluate how I’m living my life? These questions followed me around as I went through my days.

At first I stopped working all together, because I needed all of my energy to be spent on being a mother to my kids. It was my mission to make sure their experience through all of this was going to be something they could look back on as positive and inspiring.

So naturally, the first thing we did was have a backyard pool installed because I wanted every day to feel like a vacation day, and it was easy for me to still have some fun with my family while going through the harder parts of treatments. We also spent a ton of quality time together reading books, watching movies, going on walks and having sleepovers. After I completed treatment we went on a couple epic vacations in Europe and the Caribbean too. Our lives became all about being present in the moment and making lasting memories.

During this time I began to feel a call to do something for myself, and to go after some of the dreams I always had but never had the chance to bring to life. Now was the time wasn’t it? It wasn’t going to be easy, but it kind of felt like now or never. Especially because I imagined what kind of an example I’d be setting for my kids if I didn’t just show them how to try to live.. But how to truly LIVE.

This is when I began to write again. I’ve always wanted to write a book, and why couldn’t I? I had always put it off because it is a lot of work and self-doubt would always creep in. So I told myself that even if it’s only for my kids, it would be a key part of my legacy. But the truth is I’d prove to myself that I was capable of it all along, and that would be worth everything.

I also decided to take on smaller goals like learning how to play the drums. I mean, obviously. I always wanted to be that cool chick who could jump on a drum set and surprise everyone by crushing a popular song. Easy right? Plus, it’s good exercise and doesn’t music cure everything? It’s powerful and I’ve always wanted to be able to do it. So, slowly but surely I’m doing it.

But there was something else I always dreamt of but I was afraid to go after it. Speaking. Ever since I started my first fitness business back in my early 20’s I had always wanted to eventually end up on a big stage inspiring and motivating people to live better lives. I knew that this was my chance to make this happen too.

Then one day I received an invitation to go see a popular author on stage in Toronto. There, in the green room backstage I had the chance to meet the author, but I also met the co-founder of Speaker Slam, an on stage speaking competition located in Toronto. This definitely felt like the sign I needed to go after that speaking dream… now.

Fast forward a few months and I’m sitting in a booth surrounded by my family and friends, and I hear “And the winner is…. Lindsy Matthews!” The room erupted in cheers and applause so loud I could feel it in my chest, and the love and excitement in the room was incredible. I did it. I had made my speaking dream come true on stage with my story of resilience throughout life’s challenges.

In my speech I mentioned that my kids are watching me, and one day my actions will become their playbook when really hard things happen to them. And I believe I’m doing exactly that and I am so proud of myself. Despite cancer, its treatments and all the mental health issues that come with it – I am still making my dreams come true and living a full life.

Later that year I found myself on the biggest stage yet at the Speaker Slam finals. I took home third place against all their other award winning speakers from that year and it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. These experiences on stage ignited a fire in me to make speaking my full time priority and since then I’ve gotten paid speaking gigs and media interviews and I’m so grateful for all of it.

So how did I get here? How is this my life? I’ll never know for sure, and I’ll definitely never be able to answer why it happened to me. But since I’m here, I am going to do everything I can to squeeze as much good out of it as possible. I am grateful to be a voice for the cancer community, and having the chance to bring awareness and advocate for the causes that affects so many families is truly an honor.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Challenges and obstacles come in all different shapes and sizes. Cancer is definitely a challenge, and creates many obstacles in maintaining a successful career. Another example started earlier in my life, where I learned all about adaptability because I was also living with the autoimmune disease Ulcerative Colitis and it presented many obstacles that I had to overcome.

So I guess you could say that I’ve had too many challenges and obstacles to count – but I think it’s important to talk about the one challenge that I believe everyone comes across in one way or another in their lives. Mental health.

My mental health has been all over the map since I began juggling my family life, career and cancer diagnosis – particularly when my diagnosis became something you don’t want to Google!

A positive mindset isn’t something anyone is born with, it takes practice. It’s something I’ve been practicing my whole life and I make an intentional effort to work on it every single day.

When I was in the beginning of my new stage 4 diagnosis I experienced depression for the first time in my life. My medical team did not make me feel like there was much hope and it was the worst feeling in the world. I began to retreat from my life and the people in it, and I felt despair and had trouble finding the point in anything.

I knew these were dangerous feelings, and I knew I needed to get help. I reluctantly started medication, and to be honest it was a lifesaver. I remember when I laughed for the first time a few weeks after starting the medication. I remember feeling relieved that it was possible for me to truly find joy in something again.

I also looked up other ways to combat depression, and meditation kept coming up. I had dabbled in mindfulness and meditation before, but I had never taken it very seriously. There was absolutely no cost, no risk, no side effects and no reason for me to not try it. I decided to go all out and even signed up for a 7 day meditation retreat, and I knew this was going to be what helped me even more, and maybe even got me off medication.

Those 7 days were unreal, because it was the first time I had ever done something so drastic that allowed me to focus solely on myself and my mental health and nothing else. There were up to 8 hours of meditation every day, and lessons in between to help us understand the mind and body connection.

Upon my return home I felt like I could handle anything, because the meditation was allowing me to manage my thoughts, therefore my feelings, and therefore my beliefs. It was instrumental in my mindset and allowed me to focus more on the present moment and enjoy everything life had to offer again.

My practice even allowed me to get off the medication that kick started my journey back to a better state of mind. It was incredible that I was able to take matters into my own hands with the power of meditation and really working the mind/body connection.

I truly believe that challenges are opportunities to grow!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

Motivational speaking has always been my number one goal. I looked up to all of the big names in the health and wellness industry and it was my dream to be one of them one day!

When I started my first fitness business over 16 years ago, my favorite part of the job was being in front of people and motivating them to take action in their lives to be happier and healthier. I was always proud of my unique challenges as someone living with autoimmune disease, and helping others stay fit and make healthy choices no matter what they were dealing with in their own lives was what I specialized in.

Now that fitness isn’t something I’m able to continue focusing on since my health status evolves, I’ve leaned into motivational speaking as a stage 4 cancer survivor – and I call myself a survivor as someone who is currently surviving an incurable cancer. Now is the time to make a difference and leave a lasting impact in my community.

I first took the stage in April of 2023 and told my story in the Speaker Slam speaking competition. I was eager to inspire the audience and make a name for myself in the speaking world – and I’m proud that I won the whole thing and came in first place that night! I even went to the final Grand Slam event later that year and ended up in the top 3 of some incredibly talented speakers! It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had and I’m grateful for the experience.

Media opportunities followed and I knew I was on the right track to spread awareness, help people advocate for themselves and educate everyone on resilience, grit, mindset and mental health. I love making audiences laugh, and my specialty is weaving wisdom with humor, and taking something serious and talking about it in a way that everyone is comfortable with.

The fact is every family is affected by cancer or other serious health conditions and we can all benefit from the inspiration that comes from personal storytelling and a really effective speech.

It is my goal to continue to get in front of audiences and lead by example. If I am able to persevere through really tough circumstances and continue to follow my dreams and live a good life that I’m proud of – then everyone else is capable of that too!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lindsymatthews.com
• Instagram: @lindsymatthews
• Facebook: Lindsy Matthews
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs7y-jXLiKgL0hawmBB0gFA

Image Credits
Christoper Sticker
Darius Bashar
Justin Harber