• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Generation Iron

Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network

  • Movies
  • Original Content
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Pre-Workout
      • Fat Burners
      • Testosterone Boosters
      • Creatine
      • Protein
      • BCAAs
      • Multivitamins
      • Omega-3
      • Joint Supplements
      • Super Greens
      • Meal Replacement
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Foam Rollers
      • Best Massage Guns
    • Programs
      • Best Online Workout Programs
      • Best Workout Streaming Services
      • Best Home Workout Programs
  • Equipment
    • Cardio
      • Treadmills
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Stair Climbers
    • Fitness Accessories
      • Best Apparel
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Weightlifting Shoes
    • Strength
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Complete Home Gyms
    • Training
      • Best Knee Sleeves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Gloves
  • More
    • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Our Experts
    • Advertise
    • Franchise With Us
    • Exercise Guides
    • Athlete Profiles
    • Podcasts
    • Power 30
    • Bodybuilding Awards
    • Supplement Awards
  • Shop
News

Mother-Of-One Successfully Took On Bodybuilding Following Kidney Cancer Diagnosis

by Greg Patuto Published on Mar 20, 2023

Bodybuilding
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

Annamarya Scaccia became a bodybuilder following surgery, focused on watching her son grow up.

The sport of bodybuilding has been used in many ways by many different people. Whether you are competing professionally or looking to begin a career in the sport, it can be done by anyone with dedication to fitness. Over the last three years, mother-of-one Annamayra Scaccia used bodybuilding to get back into fitness.

Scaccia, who trained as a kickboxer for years, was diagnosed with kidney cancer on Sept. 30, 2020. At the time, she did not know what type of cancer she had or the severity of it. The doctors shared that she would need a nephrectomy, which is a procedure to remove part of the kidney.

At the time of her diagnosis, Scaccia was focused on her son, according to The U.S. Sun.

“I was terrified because I didn’t know if my worst fear would come true, that I wouldn’t be able to watch my son grow up…He was frightened of losing me and clinging to me wherever we went.”

Just two months before her diagnosis, Scaccia went to the doctor for a routine checkup but the creatine levels in her kidneys was a concern. An ultrasound discovered a five-centimeter mass on her left kidney. The doctor found it to be cancerous and could have been growing for close to five years.

Scaccia had been training six days a week for two hours a day to continue her career as a kickboxer. She has plans of competing in Muay Thai fights. After undergoing surgery and recovery for six months, Scaccia decided to switch gears to bodybuilding.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by coach anna | the one-kidney bodybuilder ????????️‍????????️‍⚧️✊???? (@stillwellfitness)

Annamarya Scaccia’s Journey Into Bodybuilding

Doctors revealed that Scaccia had Stage 1 chromophore renal cell carcinoma. The surgery was a success and Scaccia was able to recover over six months. After that, she continued her love for fitness but in a different way.

Scaccia took her time ramping up exercises but was able to get on stage to compete as a natural bodybuilder. Once she was healthy enough to go full force in the gym, she would spend three hours a day working on her physique.

READ MORE: Mother And Fitness Enthusiast Shows Off Shredded Abs Just Weeks After Giving Birth

In November 2021, Scaccia competed in her first bodybuilding show as a Figure competitor. One year later, she competed in two shows before taking a break from competition. Scaccia plans to return to the stage in 2024 but there is no timetable yet.

“My cancer didn’t take me out, that my cancer didn’t take away fitness from me, that I am more than my diagnosis.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by coach anna | the one-kidney bodybuilder ????????️‍????????️‍⚧️✊???? (@stillwellfitness)

Scaccia is now working as an ambassador for the Kidney Cancer Association. She is also a certified fitness and nutrition coach. Scaccia continues to be a role model for those in and out of the fitness industry. She wants to show others that people with her condition can do what they put their minds to, including competing in bodybuilding.

“I want to make fitness fit for people like me, who operate in that grey space of nutrition…I want to open up the world of natural bodybuilding and make it more inclusive and welcoming of people like me.”

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Greg Patuto

Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Get the Latest

Stay informed with the latest news, product reviews, & expert advice.

Popular Reviews

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • Performance Lab SPORT BCAA

    The Best BCAA For Bodybuilding Health & Performance Goals

Trending Articles

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

  • The Ultimate Mike Mentzer Workout and Diet

  • Chris bumstead's 2024 workout and diet plan

    Chris Bumstead’s 2025 Complete Bodybuilding Workout & Diet Plan

Popular Now

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • best citrulline supplements

    The Best Citrulline Malate Supplements for Performance and Pump

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

Generation Iron

Generation Iron is the first and only digital network delivering health, fitness, bodybuilding, and strength sports content. We deliver premium content with the biggest names in fitness and provide expert coverage, reviews on top brands, workout tips and trends in the worlds of fitness, health and strength sports.

Strongman Corporation
Vladar

Sections

  • Trending News
  • Original Movies
  • Original Content
  • Supplement Reviews
  • Equipment Reviews
  • Exercise Guides
  • Nutrition Guides
  • Athlete Profiles

More

  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Our Experts
  • Advertise
  • Franchise With Us
  • Podcasts
  • Power 30
  • Shop

CONTACT

Generation Iron Brands LLC
134 West 29th Street Suite 902
New York, NY 10001
Email: [email protected]

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X / Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2025 · Generation Iron · Disclaimers · Privacy Policy · Accessibility