Today on the podcast:
“3 years left to live, 2 records to break, 2.3 million to raise, and 0 excuses.”
Iain Liam Ward was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 2020 and has spent the last two years raising money for cancer research with his incredible fitness challenges.
He’s trying to break the world record for the most money raised for cancer; but he isn’t asking people for donations (although he’s grateful for them), instead he is trying to gain more social media followers so he can reach out to big brands that will sponsor him for races and donate that money to cancer research.
He already has 1.5 million followers on TikTok (at the time of recording) and is exploding on the other channels as well. Be sure to give him a follow after this podcast.
Episode Outline
- 06:40 How he is the luckiest of unlucky people in his brain cancer diagnosis
- 10:00 How Iain intends to raise 2.3 million
- 14:40 How to avoid the pity party when you get bad news
- 21:33 What stage 3 brain cancer means for his fitness and training
- 30:01 How Iain is structuring his races and gaining followers
- 36:20 Why he’s happy he found out
- 44:11 How the fitness mindset and thinking a certain way helped him cope
- 51:54 What’s next for Iain
Key Points
- No matter how grave the setback, there is opportunity in every tragedy. Iain is a living example of this. His diagnosis unlocked the fullest potential of his already creative mind by inspiring him to think out of the box as an influencer looking to raise money for a cause. Treat your own setbacks as teachable moments and look for the opportunity to grow and create every time those dark moments in life rear their heads.
- The power of habit can take you far. Iain copes with his condition by taking his eyes off of the direness of his situation and toward the small steps he can take every single day to do some good for himself and others. After all, small steps done consistently form your habits, and those habits become the building blocks of your life’s direction.
- Don’t sweat it if a current goal or even a task seems insurmountable. Give yourself the grace to take as much time as you need to finish what you started instead of simply giving up on it. Iain illustrates this philosophy through the example of going to the gym even if you don’t feel like it: Even if you can’t go 100%, the most important thing is to complete your workout so that you can spend the rest of your day with a sense of accomplishment.
Powerful Quotes by Iain
- I’m the most lucky unlucky person in the world.
- It’s not about how much weight you’re lifting, but whether you’re doing the actual exercise.
Ian Ward