CROFTON, Md. — When you walk into FLMD Fitness in Crofton, the first thing you notice is the pink walls covered with encouraging words, women cheering each other on, and a coach who fuels the entire room.
What you don’t see is that the woman leading the class is fighting for her life.
Nevie Chen, owner of FLMD Fitness since 2012, is battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Yet nearly every week, between rounds of chemotherapy, she steps back into her studio to train and uplift the women who call this place their second home.
“I never in a million years thought I’d be fighting the biggest, toughest battle of my life,” Nevie said. "I have to live every moment, because I don't know when my last moment is.”
In 2024, Nevie was preparing her clients for a fitness competition when intense back pain brought her to her knees. She assumed it was a pulled muscle. Instead, doctors delivered life-altering news: Stage 4 pancreatic cancer that had already spread to her liver, with a mass on her kidney.
“At that moment, it felt like my world stopped. How can I have cancer? I'm doing everything to prevent getting anything.” she said.
Even her oncologist was shocked, Nevie was fit and lived a healthy lifestyle. Genetic testing later revealed a family history of pancreatic cancer on her mother’s side.
"My mom just recently said to me. How did it skip me and go to you? It's not that it skipped her and that it went to me. Is that I needed her here to take care of me," Nevie said.
With a five-year survival rate of about one percent for late-stage diagnoses, Nevie heard words no one wants to hear, there is no cure.
Nevie began aggressive chemotherapy. At one point, she dropped to 98 pounds. The treatments drained her physically, but she says they never took her purpose.
“My mission was to be the best version of myself and beat this, regardless of what the doctor said,” she recalled.
During the months she couldn’t work, her staff kept the gym running. Her daughter even stepped in to teach classes.
“They showed up and showed out,” Nevie said. “I could not have imagined going through this without my village.”
The tumors began to shrink and for a brief moment, things looked hopeful. But one year later, the cancer returned. This time, Nevie started infusion chemotherapy every other week and still continued teaching.
The women who train with Nevie say she gives them more than a workout. She gives them confidence, community, and a reminder that strength looks different on everyone.
“It’s not just about looking good,” Nevie said. “It’s about literally saving your life.”
According to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer than any other racial or ethnic group.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Nevie hopes her story encourages others to listen to their bodies, prioritize screenings and find strength in community.
“My members, my family, my children, they drive me,” she said. “As long as I have breath in my body, I will live and not die.”
