Keep pushing

HAYDEN - Joyce Dillman is 84 years old and she has cancer.

It wouldn't be crazy to think she might sleep in most mornings, to preserve her strength while waiting for the next doctor's appointment as she battles this illness late in life.

That would be wrong.

Instead, just after 5 a.m. on a Thursday, Joyce Dillman's arms and legs are churning steadily on an elliptical trainer at Peak Health and Wellness Center in Hayden. She is working hard, but she does not grimace. She smiles, even laughs, as she talks with Diane Boston, running on a treadmill a few feet away.

"She's our motivator," Boston says of Dillman.

Both women are among the early morning workout crowd who wait for Peak's doors to open so they can start their day.

"We leave here feeling alive," Boston says.

Especially Joyce Dillman.

In the past months, since Dillman was diagnosed with cancer, Boston has watched her complete exercise routines, determined to finish even on those days when her radiation treatments left her drained, sick.

"She's here, thick or thin," Boston said. "She's vomiting and she still wants to stay here. She's amazing."

Dillman, wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue sweats pants, white socks and shoes, keeps her arms and legs in motion as she listens, then smiles that smile she's famous for at Peak.

"This is my fan club," she says as she rattles off names like Becky, Chris and Dolly. "You can't help but succeed when you've got a fan club like this."

A few minutes later, the elliptical trainer slows to a stop and she steps off. Part one, all done. She loves the elliptical.

"It's hard, but it's easy on the knees. When your body gets old, you start getting these aches and pains. That's really a wonderful machine for that," she says.

She looks at the numbers of the screen: 31 minutes and 57 seconds. Calories, 176. Distance, 2.7 miles.

"I climbed 1,835 feet," she declares proudly.

But there is more to do.

She picks up her towel and walks to the stationary recumbent bike. Another 15 minutes here will wrap up her 45-minutes of taxing her heart, pumping blood through her body, taking deep, filling breaths. It is why she rises at 4:45 a.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

"I always feel better in the morning and then as the day goes on, it just sort of wears on you," Dillman said.

So why not start your day a little later? What's the hurry to sweat when you could sleep?

It's just a matter of time management, the retired middle and high school teacher explains.

"I like to get up and just get dressed and go," she says. "Why get into some other clothes, then change again and then again? This way, you get it all done and you're ready for your day."

Cancer calls

Joyce Dillman's life changed in November.

At the urging of a friend, she went in for a mammogram. Later, doctors called and said they needed her to return for more tests, more scans, more procedures.

"The next thing I know they said, 'You've got breast cancer,'" Dillman said.

The news wasn't devastating because frankly, she felt pretty good, like she could take on pretty much any challenge tossed her way. A lifetime of physical fitness, a passion for gardening and an attitude of eternal optimism will do that.

But still, she was surprised cancer called on her. When told the news, she remembers feeling "this sort of a rush," and then just sitting there, wondering what to do next.

Meantime, radiation treatments started.

They are not fun.

"I have this terrible sore throat from it and it's hard to swallow. You don't realize the little things you do so naturally really become an effort," Dillman said.

The cancer and the radiation treatments haven't kept Joyce out of Peak center. She was not about to deviate from 10 years of morning workouts at Peak, and continues to be one of the first there when the doors open at 5 a.m.

"It didn't slow her down," said her husband, Laurie, who drives his wife to Peak from their Hayden home four times each week.

"I drive Miss Daisy," he joked.

Laurie, a retired Air Force pilot, bikes while waiting for his wife of 60 years.

"Do I have a choice?" he laughed.

His wife is a high energy person, Laurie says. Always has been.

"She's been like that ever since I've known her," he says.

He joked about having a tough time keeping up with her. His preference is not to exercise quite as often or as early as his wife does.

"I like to turn over in my favorite recliner and go back to sleep," he said, smiling.

Not Joyce.

The mother of three shakes her head at the thought of missing mornings with her Peak pals.

"These people here are all friends," she said.

Inspiration

Born in Snohomish, Wash., and a graduate of Brigham Young University, Joyce has been a swimming instructor, a dancer, a camp counselor, a tumbler and an artist.

She's the great aunt of Julianne Hough and Derek Hough, both of "Dancing with the Stars" fame, although Julianne has left the show to pursue a country music and acting career.

"They don't know who I am," Joyce said, chuckling.

But those at Peak do.

"She's our sweetheart. She's our inspiration," said Dolly Day, another Peak morning workout warrior. "She never gives up. We're just following her lead."

Day, knowing that Dillman is weak from treatments, has cleaned her house.

"She would do that for us," Day said, shrugging off credit for her good deeds, and instead pointing out everyone there sticks together.

"All of us have forged some real strong friendships here," she said.

Darrell Gamble said he has been training for years, and can't match Joyce's commitment and enthusiasm to fitness.

"I mean, to see that she's in here at 5, I'm thinking, I'm a little whiny about coming in," he said, then added, "The girl is a stud. That's it."

As he talked, Joyce grinned and laughed.

"That's what you get. The smile," Gamble said. "That's the way she looks everyday."

No complaints

Dillman wraps up her morning routine with 15 minutes on the stationary bike. Satisfied, sweating, she stands and relaxes.

"I'm done for the day," she says.

She and Laurie will return home, have breakfast, read the Bible, then take naps, two a day.

"My naps are like two hours now," she said. "Your body just requires it when you have this radiation stuff."

Joyce Dillman is not a complainer. Never has been. She praises her friends, her doctors, her husband, pretty much everyone. You won't hear a negative word pass her lips. Not even about cancer. Her life has been good.

"Everybody's nice. They are," she said.

There is one thing she says she wants, after she's done with this cancer business. It's not much, really. Something simple.

"I want to get back to feeling good again," she says.

Chris Maiani says Joyce deserves it.

"She's like that person we all want to be like. We all just love her here," she said.

Maiani pauses for a moment, looks at Dillman with a smile, then adds this:

"There's nobody that inspires like Joyce does."

They see each other again. At 5 a.m.