Philly Triathlete and Cancer Survivor Stephen Brown Releases New E-book
Stephen Brown | Photo by Adam Jones
A few years back, I had the pleasure of meeting Upper Darby triathlete Stephen Brown. He was a finalist in our very first Health Hero Challenge, and I remember, when we made his video for the contest, leaving the photo shoot feeling pummeled over by his unwavering optimism, a can-do, will-do attitude that wouldn’t quit, even in the face of a chronic blood-cancer diagnosis.
A year later I followed up with Stephen for our 2013 print issue of Be Well Philly with an interview, in his words, about how his cancer diagnosis had changed his life and, in some ways, had actually made him stronger. In fact, even to this day, I often think about one of the things he said to me in that interview:
I was to start chemo right away. The first session was awful—the chemo left me with shakes, headaches and sweats—but it got better. When I was feeling up to it, I would run the mile and a half home from my chemo treatments. It wasn’t an Ironman, but it was something I could do. It was my F-U to cancer.
Sure makes you think twice about skipping your workout for a Netflix marathon, yes?
All of this backstory is my long-winded way of getting at the fact that when Stephen emailed me over the weekend with a link to his new e-book, Relentless Mettle: My Cancer, My Rules, I couldn’t wait to share it. It’s a longer, more in-depth look at Stephen’s journey with cancer and how, in a lot of ways, his diagnosis has brought new depth to his life, from that unbridled optimism I mentioned above to the connections he’s made through his contributions as a coach in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program.
His is one of those stories that will inspire you to live life to the fullest, against whatever odds are stacked in your way. Check it out for yourself right over here.
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