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From keynote speaker to key athlete, Sean Swarner headlined LUNGevity’s HOPE Summit in May and is now set on completing his next unbelievable feat—completing the Great World Race this November by running seven consecutive marathons, one on each continent.
His life story reads like an epic journey, from surviving two different types of cancer— Hodgkin's lymphoma and Askin's sarcoma—to becoming a world-class athlete with only one lung. His latest mission, running the Great World Race, allows Sean the opportunity to raise awareness of lung cancer and help fund life-saving research.
A Resilience More Powerful Than Any Diagnosis
Sean knows firsthand the battle for breath. Having fought his own life-threatening illnesses, he understands what it's like to have trouble breathing—not just by disease but by the limitations it imposes.
Despite losing one lung during his treatments, Sean went on to defy the odds by becoming the first cancer survivor to scale Mt. Everest, then climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents, skiing to the North and South Poles, completing the Hawaii Ironman World Championship, and now participating in the Great World Race from November 15-21. Over those seven days, he will travel to seven different continents and run a marathon each day.
Why Lung Cancer Awareness?
As a speaker at the LUNGevity HOPE Summit survivorship conference, which brings together lung cancer survivors and caregivers from around the world, Sean learned that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. This disease affects millions, yet it remains largely overlooked, misunderstood, and sadly, stigmatized.
People often associate lung cancer with smoking, leading to a damaging perception that those with it are somehow at fault. However, as Sean and many advocates emphasize, that’s simply not the whole story.
“I spoke at the LUNGevity HOPE Summit, an amazing event for lung cancer survivors and their caregivers. My immediate reaction was—this is my community! As a two-time cancer survivor, I understood what these attendees were going through. I decided then to help raise awareness of lung cancer and help raise funds for research. The Great World Race is the perfect platform to reach a whole new audience and get them involved,” says Sean.
More Than Just a Physical Challenge
By taking on the Great World Race, Sean is using his platform, time, and talents to spotlight lung cancer and those affected by it. Completing seven marathons in just seven days is not just a physical challenge—although it’s certainly an impressive one—but it’s also an opportunity to show people that lung cancer deserves attention, research, and action.
His participation in the race allows him to share a powerful message: There is hope. Thanks to advancements in science, it’s now possible to live with lung cancer. However, there’s much more that needs to be done, and we are grateful to have Sean join us in this endeavor to improve outcomes for those with lung cancer.
A Marathon of Hope
Sean’s life journey is nothing short of awe-inspiring. As he continues to push himself to the limit, his focus remains steadfast on helping others. Through the Great World Race, Sean is doing more than running 26.2 miles a day—he’s running for the millions affected by lung cancer and bringing attention to this deadly disease to inspire change.
His message is clear, anyone with lungs can get lung cancer, and it's time to stop overlooking, misunderstanding, and stigmatizing this disease. Through his efforts, Sean is transforming his own story of survival into one of hope for others, proving that even with just one lung, a single individual can make a world of difference.
You can donate here to fuel Sean’s race and provide crucial dollars to support lung cancer awareness and research. And starting on November 12, you can get updates and follow Sean’s race on Instagram or Facebook.