LA VERNE, Calif. — Just after retiring from her teaching job, Nancy Sassaman was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Although her treatments were successful, they left Sassaman very weak and eager to regain the strength she had lost.

She took up exercising, starting with low-impact activities such as Qigong, Tai Chi and yoga, but eventually moved into the world of powerlifting.

Today, Sassaman is a competitive athlete and has won numerous medals at powerlifting competitions around the world, but where she has made the biggest impact is back home at the Hillcrest retirement community.