“You never know what people are going through, I just want to be that person who helps them.” If you spend any measure of time with James Chambers, it will come as no surprise that those words left his lips. Caring, empathetic and most importantly inspirational beyond measure, James lives his life with a vigor and intentionality many aspire to. That wasn’t always the case for James. In his 26 years, he has endured and overcome more than many will in their lifetime and those challenges are what have shaped him into the man he is today.
Before becoming an avid gym-goer, James didn’t have many goals—except for one: To gain muscle. For most of his life, he was on the leaner side sitting around 100lbs on average. Around the age of 23, James began incorporating strength training into his routine and saw some gains he was proud of—tipping the scale at 110lbs. But throughout his training, he began to experience what he believed to be side effects from his rigorous training. Chest pains, muscle soreness and night sweats—all of which he attributed to his workout regimen. His girlfriend, Samerya, wasn’t so sure. After urging him to see the doctor, James received a devastating diagnosis—he had Stage IV Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with a tumor nearly the size of a watermelon sitting on his chest. Even worse, the doctors estimated he had less than one month to live
“Am I going to live? Am I going to be able to go to the gym?” James’ mother, Melanie recounts the only two questions he needed answered in the wake of his diagnosis. There was no crystal ball that could give him the assurance he needed, but James wasn’t going to take the diagnosis lying down. Instead, he fought for his life. He went through six grueling months of chemotherapy and an additional five months of radiation that left him weaker than he had ever been, which seemed inconsequential in light of his new prognosis: that he was cancer-free.
After finishing his treatment, James couldn’t wait to get back into a gym, but during his battle with cancer—another crisis had arisen, COVID-19, shuttering many of the gyms in his area. Except for one: Anytime Fitness, now known to his girlfriend as his “favorite place to be.
“When I’m at the gym, I feel at peace with everything.”
James had found a new gym to call home and at 95lbs, he had some major ground to make up for after beating cancer. He began working out with Spencer Isaac, who provided not only inspiration, but accountability for James in his recovery.
“James is a testament that going day-by-day and consistent hard work can get you there,” his workout companion, Spencer praises. That dedication is what earned James his most impressive result thus far in his fitness journey, weighing in at a remarkable 130lbs. His story serves as a reminder to us all that hope and courage can take you far but consistency and dedication will take you even further. And that’s real AF.
