A Quinte West woman made history over the weekend, while writing a story of courage and adversity.
Ashley Greer is getting set to turn 36 in a few weeks and to say her last few years have been a challenge would be the understatement of the year.
In an interview with Quinte News, Greer discussed how becoming a mother changed everything for her.
The married (husband Aaron) mother of two (Wyatt – 9, Garrett – 7) says as a parent, others come first.
“I fell head first into motherhood and I gave everything to my children and my family, and I forgot about myself along the process.”
She says an issue she ran into raising her children was weight gain.
At her heaviest Greer was 265 pounds, but that was not the only issue.
“December of 20-23, I went to the emergency room and I walked out with Stage 2 cervical cancer. So for me that was a really huge wake-up call that I need to get everything in order and I need to put my 100 per cent into this battle.”
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Ashley Greer goes from 265 pounds down to 130 (Photo: submitted to Quinte News)
She says she worked out daily and got on a healthy diet because her life depended on it.
In September 2024 she had a hysterectomy, however, two weeks later doctors discovered the cancer had spread.
“My bladder had now been impacted by the cancer, I had to go through another surgery where I lost my bladder in the process and it left me with a urostomy bag.”
She said her healthcare team told her there would be major life-altering changes because of it.
“You’re not going to lift more than five pounds, you’re not going to be able to lift your children anymore. Your quality of life is going to be greatly impacted. That was just something that didn’t work for me. I worked so hard, I fought so hard to be alive and be here.”
When Greer discovered a body-building competition called Summer Shredding Toronto she wanted to take part.
She said it would help her take back control of her body.
“I’ve been at the mercy of my body going through chemo and radiation and surgery and doctor’s appointments, and I felt so out of control. So this was a moment for me to take back that control.”
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(Photo: 4Net Media Group)
She is the first Canadian woman in a body-building competition with a urostomy bag.
Weighing in at the competition Greer weighed an incredible 130 pounds.
Not only did she win the Comeback Class at the competition last week, she took the entire Transformation Division.
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(Photo: 4Net Media Group)
Greer updated us on her cancer battle.
“So I’m cancer free which is great. I like to say that I’m now in the hardest part, now I’m in this next stage of survivorship, where I’m dealing with all the side effects of the chemo and dealing with the side effects of radiation, the surgery I went through to get the urostomy bag. I’m now fighting against all those. Every day is still a battle against fatigue and pain and wanting to give up and just let my body do what it wants to do, but we’re still fighting the fight.”
She says she continues the fight for a good reason.
“My boys. My two little boys. I’ve always said from day one when I got my diagnosis, there is not a world that exists, where I’m not here to raise those little boys. I lost my mom to cancer when I was quite young and that’s just not something that I’m going to have them go through.”
Competitors at the Summer Shredding event in Toronto came from across Canada and the United States.
She has now also qualified for the international competition in Houston, which she says she will fundraise for and attend next year.
(Photo: 4Net Media Group)
