Julie Main: An Industry Trailblazer with a Legacy of Healing

Most people enter the fitness industry to make a difference in people’s lives. Julie Main shared that commitment even when her own life became a battle for survival.

She had made her mark in the fitness industry as co-owner and president of the West Coast Athletic Clubs, a chain of five clubs in California. She was respected by her colleagues and was one of the few women industry leaders at the time.

Then everything changed: In 1993, Julie was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“When Julie was diagnosed, it was devastating news for us all,” says her husband, Michael Main. “She was in her mid-thirties with two small children. She was determined to not let it get her down and continued to do her workout routine.”

Julie’s doctor asked why she was handling the treatments so well compared to other patients. Her answer: dedication to exercise.

“She became a walking example of what an exercise routine could do to enhance one’s quality of life while undergoing cancer treatment,” Michael says.

Not only did Julie harness the power of exercise to help her cope with cancer treatments and rehabilitation, but she also somehow finished marathons and triathlons after her initial diagnosis.

But she didn’t stop there. Julie had the foresight to leverage a deep knowledge of both business and fitness to create a community program that continues to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families to this day.

A Natural Leader

During her career, Julie held several leadership roles, a rarity for a woman in those days. She was a board member and then president of the HFA (at that time, IHRSA) board of directors, a member of the California Clubs of Distinction, and a member of the Faust Roundtable group of club leaders. A popular industry speaker, she also served on the editorial advisory board for Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro magazine and as a judge for the magazine’s Best of the Best contest for two years.

“She applied for the IHRSA board five times and was finally elected,” says Rick Caro, president of Management Vision, an industry consultancy in New York City, denoting her determination. The board later elected her as president, the second woman in that position after Annbeth Eschbach.

In 1994, Julie and her friend and business partner Paula Lilly co-founded the Cancer Well-Fit Program in collaboration with the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara. The program trains health club and healthcare professionals to offer exercise regimens that enable cancer patients to feel better and more in control.

What started some three decades ago as a local pilot program is now an internationally recognized cancer exercise rehabilitation program designed to help the first-year cancer survivor. The free, 10-week small group training program bridges the gap between medical and fitness professionals.

“It’s been a huge success. I still have people contacting me to let me know how this has helped them,” Michael says. “The aspect Julie dwelled on most was the mental benefit. People feel more proactive about dealing with their disease, which has a positive effect on their recovery.”

In a 2005 interview in CBI, Main explained: “What we teach through Cancer Well-Fit is that exercise can significantly improve cancer patients’ quality of life. It’s about people realizing that they can regain some control of their own bodies … when you’re a patient, you have no control.”

Changing the Course of Care

Julie battled the disease for 16 years, maintaining as close to a regular working schedule as she could.

“During one of the meetings where she was serving as board ex-officio, she had to travel by plane with a portable infusion pump,” Caro recalls. “And she still showed up.”

Researchers who have studied the Cancer Well-Fit Program found that participants were substantially less tired and less anxious than patients who were sedentary. They had an average of 43% improvement in their strength, they doubled their aerobic endurance, and they boosted their energy levels.

The American Cancer Society now recognizes that physician- approved exercise during cancer treatment can boost energy levels, relieve stress, decrease anxiety and depression, and increase hunger.

Today, The Cancer Well-Fit Manual that Main co-wrote and published with Lilly is used to train health club operators and healthcare providers throughout the world. It enables club operators to deliver effective exercise programs for cancer patients, and other cancer recovery fitness programs have emerged.

A Bold Fighter to the End

Sadly, Julie’s courageous battle with cancer ended on May 4, 2009.

“The doctors considered her in remission,” explains Michael. “However, during a yoga class in 2005, she experienced a shooting pain near her kidney. She went to the emergency room for an ultrasound and found that her liver was infected with suspicious tumors. It was determined to be a rare form of cancer, leiomyosarcoma.”

She bravely fought the disease for four years as it spread throughout her body. Remarkably, even as she was undergoing radiation for a tumor on her spine, she ran the San Diego Rock ‘n Roll Marathon.

“She finished in just over 4 1/2 hours,” Michael says.

An inspiration to her colleagues, Julie was honored by the HFA in 2009 when it established the Woman Leader Award in Honor of Julie Main. It recognizes women who exemplify what Main stood for—professionalism, excellence, courage, perseverance, and tireless contributions to the industry and community.

“She did her best to try to not let cancer compromise her life,” Michael says.