About Us and The Program

Through collaboration with Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) and John A. Logan College, who wanted to start a physical activity and nutrition program for cancer survivors in southern Illinois, as well as through the financial support of a Live Strong grant received by SIH — Dr. Phil Anton of the SIUC School of Human Sciences helped found the Strong Survivors program, with its Logan course curriculum largely based on the You Can program.

Since the first Strong Survivors class at John A. Logan in September of 2005 and the opening of the SIUC Cancer Rehabilitation Laboratory (SIUC-CRL) in Davies Hall on the SIU campus in 2009, Dr. Anton and SIU students, primarily from the Department of Kinesiology (Now the School of Human Sciences), have helped cancer survivors maintain or regain their quality of life both during and following treatment. Over the years, services have been added to provide exercise training for cancer caregivers. Progress continues, and beyond the initial 12 weeks of services, survivors and caregivers can now enroll in the Survivors Forever program and continue their participation for as long as they wish.

The Strong Survivors staff prides itself on the safety and effectiveness of the exercise programs we prescribe and we take our participants' quality of life very seriously.