Written by Kathryn Lekas, Editor-in-Chief
Photography by Paul Buceta
Hair & Makeup by Monica Kalra
Looking at Dr. Arianne Missimer now, with a warrior-like physique and a sunny disposition, it’s near impossible to imagine this Functional Medicine Practitioner, Author, Speaker, Physical Therapist, Registered Dietitian, Yoga Teacher, Mindfulness Educator, and Owner of The Movement Paradigm has ever experienced any sense of weakness. Or faced even one dark day. But enduring exactly that is, in fact, what shaped Arianne into the strong, driven, inspiring woman she is today.
A victim of rape at just 17 years old, Arianne graduated high school in a daze. “Going into university, I hadn’t yet properly dealt with the trauma and was soothing myself with alcohol and partying. I was even on academic probation. I was a disaster,” she admits. But when a friend suggested she go to Gold’s Gym with him for a workout, everything changed. “All it took was that one time and I was hooked on a healthy addiction,” says Arianne. “Movement became something to really attach to, allowing me to express my emotions in a healthy way. Turning to weights as a way to lift the heaviness I felt mentally and emotionally gave me my power and freedom back. I did a complete 180,” she explains. “I wasn’t partying anymore, and I got on the Dean’s List. This moment really set the stage for fitness and movement as the medicine in my life.”
Armed with a new sense of strength, figuratively and literally, Arianne soon launched herself into the world of fitness competitions. And as bold as that move felt, finding the courage to step into the spotlight publicly was nothing in comparison to the kind she continued to build to face challenges privately. Her transformation was exactly what she needed in order to better manage all life was presenting.
From the age of 11, Arianne’s brother battled Hodgkin’s Disease and then lung cancer, and she was consistently by his side—not only offering her love and support, but providing care as his unofficial Physical Therapist.
As she endured cancer treatment, Arianne even started training for American Ninja Warrior.
“Every day was really awful, seeing someone—especially someone I loved—fighting for their life like that, and having their movement being taken away,” shares Arianne. “I wanted to do whatever I could as he lost the ability to use his arms and legs, often helping him ‘walk’ in a wheelchair.”
During that time, Arianne’s mom was also diagnosed with breast cancer—a fate that continued to test her resilience.
Her mother survived, but when Arianne’s brother passed away at the age of 29, she vowed to never take her health or movement for granted. She committed to a lifestyle, both personally and professionally, founded in the type of raw strength she discovered when overcoming the sexual assault. Pairing her love for fitness with a deep dive into holistic nutrition to fuel—and safeguard—the body, Arianne’s declaration clearly revealed her purpose. She became a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Registered Dietitian, and Human Movement Specialist on a mission. “I committed to helping everyone I come into contact with realize how precious life really is, and how movement is a gift that helps them to protect it,” says Arianne.
As it turned out, that would also become the defining moment that saved her own life years later.
In 2015, two months before her wedding, Arianne was diagnosed with stage 3 liposarcoma—a rare form of cancer. “I experienced a whirlwind of emotions,” says Arianne. “Here I was practicing optimum health, yet I was still hit with this.” The doctors explained it as a “bad luck” cancer, in that there’s no genetic, environmental, or lifestyle factors to account for it. “I was told I would not have kids. I would lose my hair. And that I would need surgery that required amputating my leg. I was definitely in panic mode,” admits Arianne. “But after losing my brother, and promising to live life in honor of him and with purpose, I was not going to resign myself to sitting on the couch and letting it all happen to me. And I did not want to just survive cancer—I wanted to thrive—so I wanted to do what makes me feel best,” says Arianne. “I chose to accept the challenge of returning to health by believing in my body and the power of movement to rise up.”
Arianne underwent aggressive treatment, including a limb-saving surgery, which she viewed as an opportunity to truly embrace her message. “It was absolutely scary not knowing if I would have loss of nerve function, if the tumor would be gone, or if I would even roll out in a wheelchair. But I knew I had a choice about how to approach what was happening, and that this allowed me to serve as a true example of how to apply the three tenants—mindset, nutrition, and movement—I built my life motto and my company on. So, I just tried to do so, to get a little better each day. Never losing sight of my vision of walking myself out of that hospital,” she says.
“Turning to weights as a way to lift the heaviness I felt mentally and emotionally gave me my power and freedom back.”
Not only did Arianne continue with her healthy habits in order to move through the devastating disease, she chose to persevere and conquer it by jumping all in to her physical potential. As she endured cancer treatment, Arianne even started training for American Ninja Warrior, and just a few months after completing her final session of chemotherapy—and walking out of the hospital—she was selected out of 80,000 applicants to compete in Season 8 of the competition-based show. “Being on American Ninja Warrior at that time was so ironic to me, as it was an all-encompassing expression of everything I was experiencing,” says Arianne. “In losing my brother and battling my own cancer, I had gone through the biggest obstacles in my life, and there I was actually tackling the biggest obstacle course, too.”
As 2025 marks Arianne’s 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free, she says she can’t help but feel as though appearing on the cover of STRONG—as the face of fitness inspiring women around the globe to move—is serendipity. “I have been obsessed with learning about the human body for the past 22 years, and leaning into fitness was not only what saved me the first time I was faced with what felt like a debilitating circumstance, but every time. So, I’m incredibly thankful for this experience. It really is a full-circle moment,” she says.
For Arianne, maintaining gratitude for the difficult times is just as important. “Mindset puts things in perspective: when faced with a challenge or obstacle, look at it as an opportunity, with a sense of gratitude to overcome it. Allow it to help you become better than who you are now,” she says. Arianne is steadfast in the belief that going through her own struggles is what’s allowed her to authentically and compassionately connect with everyone she works with, and really bring her mission to fruition. Through her dream practice, The Movement Paradigm—an integrative clinic in Downingtown, Pennsylvania—Arianne continues to share her three-pillar approach of mindset, nutrition, and movement every day to address the whole person and the underlying causes of health issues, rather than simply treating symptoms. In doing so, Arianne feels she is embodying her favorite quote by Gandhi: Be the change you want to see in the world. “If I can change just one person’s life, I am truly successful,” says Arianne. “I am dedicated to helping people heal their body, alleviate inflammation, move better, and live with vitality.” Of course, you don’t have to take her word for it. It’s obvious in the example she sets. Arianne’s commitment to her brother, herself, and the world has her continually moving forward in every capacity.
Each year since her brother’s passing, Arianne and her mom travel together, to go to a new place. She’s also never stopped learning, earning multiple certifications to grow her knowledge on healing, with a particular focus on studying the vagus nerve. And she keeps exploring ways to move with new physical challenges. “I’m currently training for a powerlifting meet in April, and working on an aerial showcase for the fall,” she says. “Movement has been the biggest gift to help me heal—it’s my ethos. And always will be.”
