# 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.
- Title: King of Chemo Turns Cancer Into Fitness Mission · Men's Health
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: iain ward, seattle, nfl, marathon, tiktok, charity, cancer, fitness, glioblastoma, terminal cancer, fundraising, social media
- Source: Men's Health — https://menshealth.com/health/a73791453/iain-ward-king-of-chemo
- Author: Eric Barton
- Published: 2026-10-02T12:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: iain ward, seattle, nfl, marathon, tiktok, charity, cancer, fitness, glioblastoma, terminal cancer, fundraising, social media
## 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.’
## Key takeaway

Iain Ward, 37, raised 2.3 million pounds for charity by running marathons and social media challenges after a terminal brain cancer diagnosis.