Peloton instructor diagnosed with cancer after doctors dismissed lump

Peloton instructor Leanne Hainsby announced in an Instagram post that she has been battling breast cancer since August 2022.

Hainsby, 35, described what she has been going through behind closed doors for the last several months saying that while she’s shown up seeming “normal” her reality has looked “very different.”

“I would teach Wednesday morning LIVE classes and then meet my Mum and go to the treatment suite for my weekly dose,” Hainsby wrote saying she completed 12 weeks of chemotherapy as part of her treatment plan.

She credits the Peloton classes and members as the “sparkle in an otherwise incredibly tough time” and thanked members for bringing her joy every day.

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Hainsby said she wanted to open up about her diagnosis now to raise awareness for breast cancer - especially in young women.

She said when she found a lump in her breast doctors initially brushed it off.

“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,” she wrote.

“Check, and check again.”

Hainsby said she feels “very fortunate” to be going through treatment privately with “incredible” nurses and doctors.

Every year in the US, 264,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. In the UK, 55,000 women are diagnosed ever year.

Regular checkups, including self-checks, and mammograms are all part of early detection that can help save lives.

“If I can motivate or inspire just one person to either keep going in their journey, or to get themselves checked, then sharing something so very personal will be worth it,” Hainsby said.

Other Peleton instructors like Sam Yo, Jess Sims, Matty Maggiacomo, Adrian Williams, Kendall Toole, Robin Arzón, and more sent well-wishes and kind words to Hainsby.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.