Inspirational Stories

A Les Mills BODYJAM™ Dream Come True

When 17-year-old Lien Michiels was approached by Make-A-Wish – a foundation that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions – her number one wish was to join the LES MILLS™ presenter team at the filming of a BODYJAM™ masterclass.

The Belgian teenager is passionate about Les Mills. Her parents’ gym, Top Vorm, in Bornem, near Antwerp, has all eight LES MILLS™ group fitness programs and is a real family business, with father Luc teaching RPM™ and BODYPUMP™, mother Kristel teaching all the programs except RPM™ and 18-year-old sister Anne teaching BODYSTEP™ and BODYJAM™.

Lien has been an avid fan of the program since 2002 became a BODYJAM™ instructor soon after she turned 15.

To say it has been a tough couple of years for the family is an understatement. Kristel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and Lien was diagnosed with bone cancer in her left leg in June 2006. Lien has been a dancer all her life so this diagnosis was devastating because she had to stop all her dancing – ballet, modern dance and hip hop. But she continued to do her beloved BODYJAM™ as she was able to use the options.

“Two months before my operation I was still doing BODYJAM™ – even when I was almost falling down – but it was a therapy for me,” Lien explains.

After undergoing chemotherapy for ten weeks, Lien was operated on in September 2006 and received a prosthetic knee as well as having part of her thigh bone replaced.

“I couldn’t walk,” says Lien. “It was a really miserable time because I couldn’t do what I loved.”

The chemo continued until May 2007.

Unbeknown to Lien, Luc had contacted Make-A-Wish. The first Lien heard of this was when they called her and told her she could make three wishes and would be granted one of them.

“At that time nothing was more important than finding a cure. But then I saw Ginny [Crocker] and Sharnika [Robson] on the BODYJAM™ 38 DVD and instantly knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

On July 16, Lien’s 17th birthday, the Make-A-Wish team appeared on her doorstep with a cake. It wasn’t until she opened the cake box that Lien discovered they were sending her to New Zealand to appear on the BODYJAM™ 44 DVD as a shadow presenter.

“I went wild!” she said.

The gutsy teenager disobeyed doctor’s orders and couldn’t resist joining in while her sister learnt the latest BODYJAM™ releases – but she could only use one leg and was sporting crutches. She started teaching BODYJAM™ again in July and with the help of a physiotherapist, and the exercise, her leg grew stronger.

Coming to New Zealand was “overwhelming” – not just for Lien but for her whole family who all took part in the 1/2008 Release filming.

“It’s a dream that we never thought would come true. It’s heaven,” says Luc.

“Every day I’ve had a smile from ear to ear,” says Lien emotionally. “There have been tears because I don’t want to leave.”

Lien says she's now looking forward to watching the finished DVD back home and, of course, teaching the BODYJAM™ class she helped present to the world. But she won’t be doing any sneak previews at Top Vorm – they’ll have to wait until February like everybody else!

Both Lien and Kristel are in top form but are going into hospital regularly for check ups.