Overcoming Obstacles with Beau Whitman
Happy Friday, Tribe! I hope that you are having a wonderful day today, even in the midst of quarantine! I am sending you all the love, all the health, and all the positive vibes, and I hope that you're feeling motivated and empowered even in this time of uncertainty!
Today, we're going to talk about overcoming obstacles, because let's be honest — life is full of them. COVID-19 is an obvious example — there are so many unknowns right now about when the country will fully open, how that will affect our health, and whether or not the economy will bounce back from this. Things are kinda out of our control right now, but we do have control over how to respond to those things.
My guest today has gone through it all, including cancer, and yet, he remains positive and uplifting no matter what mountain is in front of him. I challenge you to find a more uplighting, silver-lining finding human out there, than Beau Whitman. Beau is literally the definition of ultimate strength, and I am SO excited for you all to hear from him.
On Episode 78 of The Jenn Kennedy Show, Beau and I meet over Zoom to discuss his story of overcoming obstacles and how you can do the same. After we recorded this podcast, I felt my mindset shift into one of positivity, hope, and abundance, and I cannot wait for you to experience the same feeling. Let's go!
Who Is Beau Whitman?
Growing up with two younger brothers and four older sisters shaped Beau as an athlete, coach, trainer, and overall wonderful person. His athletic career began at Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center, where he trained as a competitive gymnast for 12 years. After retiring, he competed as a five-sport varsity athlete in high school, and in college, he joined Lehigh University's Division 1 Track and Field Team.
After he graduated from Lehigh University, Beau accepted a position at New York University as the Aissant Jumps Coach for the Track and Field Team. It was here that he uncovered his passion for coaching and helping other athletes. Beau became a trainer and CrossFit coach so that he could further help people achieve their goals, compete, and recover from injuries. Beau experienced six major reconstructive procedures during his athletic career, and so he thoroughly understands the physical endurance, restraint, and positive mentality needed to successfully recover from an injury.
Beau's passion for helping recovering athletes has expanded into helping cancer survivors. In the Summer of 2019, Beau was diagnosed with Stage III Germ Cell Cancer. He was initially told he would have two years to live — max. Immediately following his diagnosis, it became clear that Beau's athletic history had trained him for this defining moment in his life. He was not about to quit.
Following four rounds of chemotherapy and two major surgeries, Beau is now cancer-free and uses his story to encourage cancer patients and survivors around the world. His fitness community provides a supportive network for cancer patients and cancer survivors to safely retain their bodies and work through mental challenges.
Beau's mantra is "rebuilt to inspire," and he demonstrates it so well. Whether you're struggling with health issues or anxiety from COVID-19, Beau's story will encourage you, inspire you, and motivate you to overcome your obstacles, embrace vulnerability, and come out physically and mentally stronger on the other side. I can't wait for you to hear his story!
Beau's Battle with Cancer to Becoming a Cancer Recovery Coach
Beau's mindset and positivity throughout his battle with cancer just blew me away. I had a hard time understanding how someone could remain so hopeful after a diagnosis like that — a 28-year-old athlete diagnosed with cancer. Absolutely awful. I asked Beau to share the full story and explain how he was able to keep feeling hopeful.
He started by explaining that struggle is something he's undergone his whole life. Before his diagnosis, Beau had undergone six major reconstructive surgeries on his shoulders, wrists, and knees. He was 14 when he had his first surgery, and since then, it had been this back and forth battle.
Fast forward 14 years and Beau is experiencing stomach pain and has a mass on his neck. He goes to the doctor, and they do a full scan just to make sure that the mass on his neck isn't indicative of a larger problem.
"[The doctor] looked at me [and] he was like … "You have Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I'm 95% sure you probably have 2 years to live, and they might not treat you. I looked at him, and I looked at my mom, and she was just pale white." - Beau Whitman
After his diagnosis, Beau said he laughed for a good ten minutes, just at the irony of it all. After all the stuff he had already gone through, of course, this would happen. Beau says that all of his past struggles conditioned him for this moment — it was almost just like another surgery. He had undergone three shoulder reconstructions and then qualified in Olympic lifting, so why couldn't he defeat cancer?
It was this positive mindset that kept Beau going through all the chemo and surgeries. He's a freaking warrior. I'm an optimistic person by default, but Beau just takes it to a whole new level. He's just recently been cleared to exercise again, and now that he's cancer-free, he's using his story to help other people just like him:
"Now I'm opening up a program for cancer survivors that are in my situation right now. I've had a ton of people reach out to me who are either in the same boat — like they've lost all their muscle, lost all their drive, or they've gained all this weight from the chemo … and then also the whole entire mind aspect of being left in a deprived state of, 'I just when through a shitstorm'… So now I'm doing a problem for cancer survivors who feel stranded to make them strong again." - Beau Whitman
Cancer and cancer treatment takes a massive toll on the body, but it also affects the mind. Facing your own mortality is terrifying, especially when it seems like it's coming closer than you'd expect. Beau is a cancer recovery coach with a holistic approach: he wants to help athletes regain their physical strength AND their mental strength while also learning to become vulnerable.
Learning To Be Vulnerable
When shit hits the fan, Beau is the type of person to hold everything together. His positive attitude allows him to think clearly about any negative situation and provide support to this community. After he received his diagnosis, Beau kept on coaching, motivating, and training. He wasn't sure how to open up and become vulnerable, especially since he had been the strong one for so long.
So he waited. He only told his two best friends about the cancer and waited to hear what the biopsy results would be. Thankfully, the results said that the cancer was a rare form and that he had a higher chance of survival. He decided that he needed to embrace vulnerability and share his cancer journey with the world. He shaved his head and let his community know what had been going on.
Like Beau, my initial definition of strength growing up was to not show any weakness. I was the type of person who swept my problems under the rug and tried to be a light for everyone else. Like, I didn't tell anyone about my eating disorder for the longest time, but as we start to share our stories, we realize like there's such power in that vulnerability. Don't get me wrong — it's scary as shit to open up, but once you do, everything feels so much better.
We all struggle, so why not struggle together? When you share about your struggles, you become a light for somebody else. You give other people permission to share about pain, and that way, more people receive healing instead of isolation.
If you're struggling to become vulnerable, start with small steps. Beau started by just telling his two closest friends about his diagnosis. Maybe for you, starting slow means confiding in a close friend about your issue or talking to your mentor. Maybe just start by sharing small problems - don't feel like you have to share everything at once.
Beau invites athletics who are struggling with cancer or other injuries to reach out to him personally because he knows the good it did him:
"I'll be honest, there was one time where I broke. It was after my first full week of chemo, uh, it went pretty well, and I was like, Oh this is going to be awesome. Like this is easy. I have this in the bag, and then I got this white blood cell booster shot. And the next day I woke up and I felt like every bone in my body was breaking … my body was in so much pain, like my mom gave me like a plate of food. I was shaking, the food just went everywhere … [but they] were like, you're finally opening up to us. This is amazing. You never do this. And that was a big moment for me because … I [could] just be honest with them about how I'm feeling." - Beau Whitman
Vulnerability may seem like the opposite of courage, but it actually is courage. By sharing your story, you are being courageous by putting yourself out there and letting other people in. And while we could live our lives closed off from the world, that would be a lonely existence.
Today, I encourage you to step out and be bold — share something vulnerable (it doesn't have to be HUGE) with someone you can trust. You'll be surprised how good it feels and how much people will relate to your pain.
Why You Should Listen to This Beau Whitman Podcast Episode Right Now…
I am so freaking inspired by Beau Whitman, and honestly, anyone who battles with cancer. Just hanging out with Beau is a healing experience. His optimistic mindset is so refreshing and empowering. I know that there were days he struggled in his battle with cancer, days where he probably was close to giving up, but he preserved through it all and kicked cancer's ass.
Whatever you're struggling with right now, there is hope, and it lies in the power of your mind. Through a positive mindset, you can push through any challenge you encounter and help other people to do the same. Beau is such a perfect example of this, and I just know you all will love hearing his story.
As always, please let me know what your biggest takeaway from the episode was and share it with someone you think would benefit from hearing it! Make sure you tag Beau (@beau.whitman) and me (@thejennkennedy) in your post! I love growing alongside you all.
You all are AMAZING! See you on Friday!
