For some people, being told you’ve got a malignant brain tumour at age 21 would be reason enough to focus your energy on just getting better.
For Ollie Jowett, however, being given that diagnosis only served as motivation to achieve his dream of getting in peak physical condition, inspire other people to do the same, and not let his brain tumour defeat him.
Ollie, a personal trainer from Cornwall but now based in Belfast, was diagnosed in 2017. Determined to reach his goals, he gave himself the mantra of ‘What’s your excuse?’ to push him to not give up, and work even harder to get in shape.
Speaking about his diagnosis, Ollie said:
I was heartbroken, obviously. But it was quite a numb emotion I was feeling. I thought ‘what am I meant to do now?’ Because you don’t prepare yourself for this, certainly not at 21.
Unfortunately, given Ollie’s young age and the location of the tumour in his brain, many conventional treatments are not an option.
He said:
Surgery isn’t really a valid option for me, given where the brain tumour is located. The consultant said it’s just too risky, especially given my age.
The likes of chemotherapy and radiotherapy aren’t really options either because it’s just so risky and I’m just so young.
Sharing his story on social media, Ollie set up Project Beat Cancer to document his progress and hopefully inspire others along the way.
He said:
Now I’m just trying to inspire, motivate and inform people. I’m a believer in that we all have a purpose. I know I’ve been dealt a bad hand with cancer, I now have a purpose to inspire and bring awareness about cancer.
Ollie signed up with Ultimate Performance, which helped him slim down and then build up his physique, saying he finished the 12 week schedule more physically and mentally strong then ever.
Ollie said:
Trying to find the energy just to train and trying to find the energy just to work is horrendous.
But despite my health being the problem, it was my health that was my motivation in the first place. I had to constantly keep reminding myself of this when I wanted to give up.
It wasn’t just to get a six-pack. That wasn’t the purpose. The purpose was to get to the end so that I could inspire other people with my story.
Still being unable to use conventional therapies, Ollie has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the expensive, alternative treatments available to him.
He is also looking to the future, and is currently turning his experience into a book called, naturally ‘What Is Your Excuse?’, in order to motivate others to train, diet and achieve their fitness goals.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.