Steve's Story: Never Quit!
Steve Iron Man 2013
I first met Steve Cooper at Chandler Relay for Life 2012. Steve was running 106 laps, weaving his way around 1000 walkers as he attempted to finish a marathon while dressed in army fatigues and boots. Six months earlier he had been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.
Like many other cancer survivors I have met, I was impressed by Steve’s tenacity. He had drawn a line in the sand and declared, “Cancer will not define me.”
It had not always been that way.
When Steve first heard the doctor’s words, he figured his best option was to head to Vegas, party it up with friends, and then commit suicide due to the severity of his diagnosis. But in the middle of his Going Out Party, Steve realized that life was beautiful and he was going to fight!
Never Quit became his motto.
Research brought Steve to the conclusion that exercise would benefit his treatment.
“It is the one element with no gray areas,” Steve said. “Exercise helps reduce the effects of chemo, radiation, surgery, and anti-hormone therapy, and the chance of reoccurrence. It benefits all nationalities, races, genders and ages. Plus, it helps with the biggest challenge facing 90% of cancer patients – depression.”
Steve decided to train for the Ironman triathlon at Tempe Town Lake, which consists of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles—all under 17 hours. He enlisted friends to ride bike with him each day to and from his eight weeks of radiation treatments. On his final day of radiation, two days before the competition, 100 friends came to ride with him. Steve described the training experience as one of the best times of his life.
He loved the concept of inspiring others to not let cancer define them, but to set high goals and go for them. In November 2013 Steve became the first man to complete an Ironman while undergoing active radiation treatment for stage 4 cancer.
This summer, his oncologist encouraged Steve to undergo six rounds of chemo. Currently Steve has finished three of those rounds. Steve determined to exercise before, during and after each round of treatment to engage his metabolic system to help reduce toxins present in his body. Steve compared the training to preparing for battle.
Steve ran a full marathon on each of his treatment days for Chemo 1 and 2. He broke up the miles before and after each treatment. (For example, if he ran 12 miles during the morning of each treatment, he ran 14.2 miles in the evening.) During treatment he rode a stationary bike.
For chemo session 3, he completed a Half Ironman. He swam 1.2 miles and biked 34 miles before treatment. During treatment he rode a stationary bike. Right after treatment he rode 22 miles and in the evening ran 13.1 miles.
Steve has had days he struggles to get off the couch. He has experienced the good, the bad and the ugly of this nasty disease, but he hopes his story can inspire others.
Steve encourages all cancer patients to surround themselves with the support of family and friends.
“I can’t even tell you how many men with prostate cancer have confided in me and haven’t even told their wives,” Steve said.
He also encourages cancer patients to decide on a treatment that is right for them and to pick the best medical team possible.
Steve wanted to be clear that he believes that those at the end of their cancer journeys have not lost the battle. They are not losers, but rather, warriors who have fought as long and as hard as possible.
This Sunday, November 16, Steve will toe the line again at the Tempe Town Lake Ironman competition. He will be the first person to attempt the event while undergoing active chemo for stage 4 cancer. His Facebook post about the event read, “This week we make history and forever change the future of what’s possible. Never Quit!”