Diagnosed with uterine cancer at age 35, Pam Whitehead found inspiration in Lance Armstrong's book, "It's Not About the Bike." Now the Sacramento architect is sharing that inspiration with other cancer survivors. With $5,000 in start-up funds from the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), Whitehead has organized a fitness and strength-training program for adults who have recently completed cancer treatment. The program, first developed at Stanford, is offered in partnership with UC Davis Cancer Center and 650 FIT, a Sacramento fitness and exercise center.

"Lance Armstrong was an absolute motivator to me in moving forward -- and not just in resuming life, but in grabbing it by the horns and enjoying the ride," said Whitehead, who co-owns Sage Architecture in midtown Sacramento with husband Paul Almond.

Called Living Strong, Living Well, the program is designed to help others who have become de-conditioned due to cancer or cancer treatment recover their strength and vitality. The first 16-week program, offered at no cost to participants, will start Oct. 17.

"Not everyone can win the Tour de France after a cancer diagnosis," said Julie Brown, a health educator at UC Davis Cancer Center. "But a guided exercise program can help most cancer survivors become stronger, fitter and more energetic -- and able to live life more fully."

After undergoing a hysterectomy in 2000, Whitehead joined the Peloton Project, the Lance Armstrong Foundation's grassroots fund-raising and outreach initiative. Last year, she won the Lori A. Tilton Peloton Triumph Award for the volunteer who best exemplifies the spirit of the Peloton Project. The award comes with a $5,000 prize, money that must be used to support a local, non-profit program benefiting cancer survivors.

Whitehead turned to UC Davis Cancer Center and 650 FIT.

UC Davis Cancer Center signed on to administer the Living Strong, Living Well program. 650 FIT pledged its facility and instructors. With Whitehead, the Cancer Center and fitness center plan to pursue additional grants so that the program can continue to be offered free to cancer survivors.

"Our primary goals are to help survivors build muscle mass and muscle strength, increase flexibility and endurance, and improve functional ability," said Canyon Twer, an exercise physiologist at 650 FIT. "A long-term objective is to help participants develop and maintain their own physical fitness programs, so that they can continue to live strong."

Living Strong, Living Well is a trademarked fitness program for adult cancer survivors originally developed by the Stanford Health Improvement Program. The Stanford program provides a one-day training session to certified exercise instructors -- those certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, National Strength and Conditioning Association or YMCA. Stanford has shown that the program significantly decreases participants' fatigue and significantly increases their fitness, vitality and strength.

"Lance Armstrong has been a tremendous inspiration to me," said Whitehead, now a five-year survivor. "When I read his book, I was hooked by his whole concept of 'the obligation of the cured.'

"It is very gratifying to know that in some small way, I am helping to make the cancer journey easier for others," Whitehead said.

Jennifer Halpin, a spokesperson for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, said Whitehead's efforts will "inspire and empower."

"Just like her fundraising and outreach efforts as a member of the Peloton Project, Pam's efforts to help people living with cancer through this fitness program continue to demonstrate a remarkable commitment to the LAF's mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer," Halpin said.

UC Davis Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center that cares for 9,000 adults and children with cancer each year from throughout the Central Valley and inland Northern California.