From Men's Health · Eric Barton · · 1m 30s
King of Chemo Turns Cancer Into Fitness Mission
Iain Ward, 37, uses terminal cancer diagnosis to fundraise 2.3m pounds via marathons and social media.
In brief
Iain Ward, 37, uses terminal cancer diagnosis to fundraise 2.3m pounds via marathons and social media. Iain Ward, 37, raised 2.3 million pounds for charity by running marathons and social media challenges after a terminal brain cancer diagnosis. Originally reported by Men's Health.
Iain Ward
Iain Ward, 37, outlived a five-year prognosis for terminal stage 3 brain cancer in 2019.
“Yep, that’s sad”
King of Chemo
Ward created an online persona as the King of Chemo with 7 million TikTok followers.
“I kind of looked at five years and thought, that’s my window”
Cancer Diagnosis
Ward was diagnosed with glioblastoma at age 31 after a routine MRI scan in 2019.
“The average life span with his cancer, glioblastoma, was five years”
Fundraising Goal
Ward aims to raise more money for charity than any other marathon runner ever.
“I kind of looked at five years and thought, that’s my window”
Marathon Challenges
Ward ran six major marathons in 2024 and 32 half marathons in 32 days across Ireland.
“He ran a double marathon, 52 miles, on a treadmill, in just 12 hours”
Fitness Challenges
Ward performs dead-lift challenges in hospital gowns and one-footed balance exercises with dogs.
“He’ll take on a new dead-lift challenge wearing his old hospital gown”
Mental Health
Ward says exercise improves mental health, even for those with terminal cancer.
“People are always like, ‘Oh fuck off. Me running a marathon isn’t going to get me out of my depression.’”
Knee Injury
Ward injured his knee during a marathon challenge, leading to depression.
“Five marathons in, though, he wrecked his knee”
Recovery
Ward recovered from depression by lifting weights daily in his backyard gym.
“He said to himself, Ok, let’s do that again tomorrow morning”
Current Status
Ward’s latest MRI shows no growth of the brain tumor, giving him at least one more day.
“His most recent mri showed no growth of the lump”
Book Launch
Ward launched a book titled Terminally Optimistic, with sales funding his charity goal.
“I’m like, ‘Are you sure? I’m probably not going to be around to raise them.’”
What to remember
Iain Ward, 37, raised 2.3 million pounds for charity by running marathons and social media challenges after a terminal brain cancer diagnosis.
