Kristen Shelhamer: From Cancer Battles to Gym Goals, This Mom Is Kicking Ass and Taking Names
Kristen Shelhamer is a 36-year-old single mom from Wamego, Kansas, who has mastered the art of keeping it together while raising two energetic boys, James (10) and Quentin (6). “They’re the cutest boys who drive me insane every single day,” Kristen laughs, already hinting at the chaos that is her life. She’s got the full single mom package — school runs, bedtime stories, and somehow finding a way to keep the house standing despite the tornadoes that are her children. “I’m just trying to survive and give my boys the best life possible,” she shares, probably while hiding from a Lego-induced injury.
Kristen works as a nurse at a nonprofit clinic, where she’s dedicated to helping the uninsured and people living under the poverty line. “I could make more money working in a hospital, but this is where my heart is. I didn’t become a nurse to just make a paycheck. I’m here to help people who need it most,” she explains. Her life’s mission comes from a past that’s shaped her empathy — growing up with an alcoholic father gave Kristen a deeper understanding of struggle, and a genuine desire to help others. “I cry over everything, literally anything,” she admits. “But hey, I’m not ashamed of it.” Honestly, if you’ve seen a movie or had a kid, we’ve all been there.
In 2021, Kristen was hit with a major curveball: a Stage 2B triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis, just six months after her husband’s betrayal (the hits just kept coming). “When I heard the diagnosis, my life crumbled,” she says. “And then I was like, ‘Well, this is fun...’” But instead of sinking into the pit of despair, Kristen took on chemo and a double mastectomy with a level of resilience that could make a superhero question their life choices. “I had medical debt and lost a few friends who couldn’t handle it, but that’s okay. It hurt, but it’s part of the ride.”
One of Kristen’s lifelong dreams was to join the music industry, even though she freely admits, “I have zero musical talent.” But hey, music has a way of speaking to the soul, even if you’re tone-deaf. After finishing chemo, Kristen gifted herself a trip to a Turnpike Troubadours concert at Red Rocks to celebrate. Spoiler alert: she couldn’t make it because, well, chemo. But she’s since seen them three times. “I love them every time,” she says, proof that persistence is key in life, and in concert attendance.
These days, Kristen’s goal is to turn her home into a gym that doesn’t require her to fight a crowd of sweaty strangers for a treadmill. “I want to feel proud of my body again,” she says, aiming to set up her own personal workout space with an exercise bike and weights. “Gyms are far away and I’m way too self-conscious to go back,” she admits. But more importantly, she wants to show her boys what resilience looks like — even after cancer. “They deserve to see a mom who goes through cancer and still loves her body afterward,” she says.
With the Love Bomb, Kristen is set to create the gym she deserves — and finally take back control of the body that’s been through more than its fair share of challenges. Because if anyone deserves a break, it’s Kristen. And if anyone deserves a gym space that doesn’t involve the phrase “ladies’ locker room,” it’s also Kristen.
