“After my cancer treatment, walking helped me process my feelings whilst staying connected to my business”– Alison’s experience

Leeds business leader Alison Sarmiento is passionate about walking at work, having introduced regular ‘walk and talk’ meetings to support wellbeing and creativity in the workplace. Following her own cancer experience, she’s encouraging other workplaces to step outdoors in May and help fund ground-breaking cancer research in Yorkshire – because this time, it’s personal.

Alison is the co-founder of Leeds-based Change & Improvement Consultancy, Eximious Alliance, alongside her business partner Fran. Looking for ways to inspire creative thinking, the pair first started having regular walking meetings as part of Yorkshire Cancer Research’s ‘We Walk for Yorkshire’ fundraising challenge in 2024.

Throughout May, Alison, Fran totalled 139 miles, travelling to several iconic Yorkshire locations including Thruscross Reservoir, Knaresborough and the Nidd Gorge. As well as exploring the beauty of their region, they quickly realised the walks also had a positive effect on their productivity and creativity.

After completing the challenge, Alison and Fran decided to make walking a regular component of their business meetings and introduced walking sessions into their Business Ally Programme workshops with clients, which has gone down really well.

“We find that we achieve more in a couple hours of walking and talking than we would in a day spent at a desk or on a virtual call. We come away from each one refreshed, having had moments of absolute clarity whilst being out in nature. When you’re at work, it may feel like you don’t have enough time to walk, but everybody can benefit from taking a break from their desk and getting outdoors.”

She added: “Many of our clients appreciated the opportunity to decompress from the office environment. A bit of exercise, conversation and fresh air all help your wellbeing.”

In August last year, a few months after taking part in We Walk for Yorkshire, Alison was diagnosed with breast cancer after noticing a lump in her breast.

“I’ve had breast lumps since I was young, which have all been benign,” Alison said. “However speaking to a friend who had recently undergone treatment for breast cancer, I was reminded how cancer can affect anyone and the importance of catching it as early as possible. That conversation was the reminder I needed to call my GP.”

Alison reflected on this period of her life and how she handled the difficulties of cancer alongside managing her business. 

“I didn’t realise until my own diagnosis that there’s no standard treatment plan for cancer. There are a lot of decision points at different stages, and with that, comes a lot of uncertainty,” Alison said. “In that way, it’s like running a business, where you work towards a goal but still face uncertain outcomes. It was challenging to encounter those unknowns in both my work and personal life.”

However, Alison was able to navigate undergoing cancer treatment alongside leading her business, thanks to the vital support she received from Fran.

“From the moment of my diagnosis, Fran was there for me in every way and led the business with absolute kindness. She helped me understand my limits and was often the one to tell me to stop and go rest.”

“Surprisingly though, I found that work was a welcome distraction,” Alison commented. “There were times when I was able to do a lot more, and times when I had to pull back.”

One way that allowed Alison to strike that balance was making the time to walk. 

Alison said: “After my cancer treatment, walking with Fran helped me to process my feelings whilst staying connected to my business. Our first ‘walk and talk’ meeting after my surgery was only about ten minutes long, and we only go to the top of the street before I had to stop to rest. However, the sessions provided me with a real safe space for rehabilitation and recovery. The more walking we did each week, the more I started to get stronger - physically and mentally.”

Nine months after her cancer diagnosis, Alison will be joined by Fran and the Eximious Alliance team to take part in this year’s We Walk for Yorkshire challenge, helping to raise vital funds for life-saving cancer research in Yorkshire.

“There are higher levels of cancer diagnosis and poorer outcomes for people with cancer in Yorkshire, so fundraising for research that saves lives in our region feels like the right thing to do. After my cancer experience, supporting Yorkshire Cancer Research has become even more important.”

On why other workplaces should get involved in this year’s ‘We Walk for Yorkshire’ challenge, Alison said: “We Walk for Yorkshire not only prompted us to get more active but also think about our business at a time of change. It was the spark that initiated a lot of new developments in the way we operate and the services we offer. Any business would benefit from taking part.”