Stories That Move Us. Real stories of strength, recovery, and rediscovering movement.
Seven years ago, I was a super-fit exercise instructor. Then, without warning, everything changed.
While on a transatlantic cruise, I suffered an undiagnosed ruptured abdominal aneurysm. I was rushed to OLVG Hospital in Amsterdam, where an incredible medical team saved my life. I spent six weeks in the ICU.
Survival came at a cost.
My body, doing exactly what it needed to do, consumed my muscles to keep me alive. By the time I was stable, I had lost all strength. I couldn’t move.
From Strong to Starting Over
When I was transferred to a recovery unit, one of the nurses—who later became a dear friend—made a comment I’ll never forget: she said I looked like “a sack of potatoes” sitting in my wheelchair.
She meant it kindly, and she was right—I really did.
I had zero core strength. Wherever someone placed me, I stayed. I couldn’t hold myself upright, let alone move with control.
With the help of a compassionate physiotherapy team, I slowly regained the ability to stand, then walk with assistance. After another couple of months of rehab at home, I was finally able to walk independently again.
But I was still a fragile version of myself. And I knew I had a long way to go, especially when it came to rebuilding my core.
Why The Pool Changed Everything
I was fortunate to return home to South Florida, where I had access to a pool year-round. That pool became my recovery space.
Water offers something unique when you’re rebuilding strength: support and resistance at the same time. It allows you to move without fear, while still gently challenging your muscles.
And when it comes to core strength, deep water work is especially powerful.
Any time both feet are off the pool floor, your torso muscles have to engage to keep you stable. Add arm movement, and that engagement increases. It’s a full-body effort, but without the strain or impact of land-based exercise.
In those early days, that made all the difference.
Finding My Strength Again (One Movement at a Time)
Three mornings a week, I joined my water workout community—The Mermaids—in our pool.
Together, we followed classes by Laurie Denomme, who had been my mentor throughout my teaching career.
What I love about Laurie’s approach is simple, but powerful: she teaches you to feel your way through movement.
After everything my body had been through, that mattered.
Instead of pushing or forcing, I learned to reconnect. To notice what felt good. To rebuild strength in a way that felt safe, sustainable, and even joyful.
One morning, I completed a challenging deep water class wearing a buoyancy belt. Not only did I get through it—I felt strong, not just physically, but emotionally too. I got out of the pool feeling invigorated and deeply grateful.
I wasn’t that “sack of potatoes” anymore; I was moving, supporting myself, finally feeling like me again.
If You’re Starting Over, Start Here
Rebuilding strength after illness, injury, or surgery can feel overwhelming, I’ve been there.
But if you have access to water, it’s one of the most supportive, effective places to begin, especially for core strength.
You don’t need to be strong to start, you just need to begin. And trust that, movement by movement, your body knows how to come back.
Watch Kelly’s story:
About the author
J. K. (Kelly) Amerson López is currently writing Amsterdam Strong, about surviving a ruptured aneurysm while on a cruise to Europe. She is the author of Embassy Kid: An American Foreign Service Family Memoir. She lives in South Florida with her husband and their rescue Lab and therapy dog, Kumba.
Want to keep moving, no matter what life throws at you?
Inside Wavemakers, we help you build strength, confidence, and resilience through simple, feel-good water workouts you can adapt to your body, on any day.