Man who beat cancer for third time walks full marathon through hospital while receiving treatment

Beating cancer and finishing chemotherapy once would be a cause for celebration for anybody. For Jonathan Sams, though, it is a celebration for the third time, given that he has now beaten cancer for the third time. "This is my last treatment today," Sams said to WLWT. "I have literally just walked out of the office, had received my last infusion through the port." The Westchester, Ohio, native shares that he feels he is in a position to help people "not be afraid," saying, "I've had cancer three times, and so I think I'm in a better position I think to help people think through it and to not be afraid, to think about where they're going and not let cancer overcome me. Instead, I think it's my job to overcome cancer. And, I think it's all of our jobs to overcome whatever difficulty is going on in our lives," Sams said.

The Turtlecreek Township Trustee is very familiar with chemotherapy and what it takes to beat cancer, given that he was afflicted with the terrifying condition not once or twice, but three times. At barely 14 years old, again at 39, and most recently in May, he received three different terrifying diagnoses of cancer. And despite the painful treatments, the father of four shares that cancer doesn't bring down his spirits. "One of the things I like to say is every day is an awesome day, it's just up to me to live up to it and so, yeah, I want to encourage people through this," Sams said.

Sam has won against the deadly disease three times now and feels like he wishes to inspire people via the example of his own life. "We're all going to have challenges. The question isn't whether we'll have a challenge or not, the question is how we're are going to live up to that challenge," Sams said.

Sam wanted to do something while he was resting in the hospital and recovering. So he completed a marathon—26.2 miles—in only three days while undergoing therapy during his most recent hospitalization at UC Medical Center. The "Marathon of Purpose" was what he called it. "You know I walked a marathon in a day. Each one of you, you walk a marathon every day of your lives. And, I want you to make those lives worthwhile and I don't want you to be afraid," Sams said. "Whatever the obstacle I want you to overcome it. I believe in you."

He was also not alone; a companion was walking next to him. And, according to Sam, people walked everywhere throughout the nation. No one travels alone in life, Sams asserted, regardless of the distance.