“Dare to dream, for in the daring there is defiance to live beyond your circumstances.” –Su Williams
On World Cancer Day 2023, We chose to highlight the real battle of cancer patients by interviewing one of the most inspiring cancer survivors and consistent fighters “Anwar El Kamony“. Anwar is the first athlete to achieve an international tennis ranking after a bone marrow transplant operation, a book author, a TEDx speaker, and a sports ambassador at “Baheya Breast Cancer Foundation”. Anwar has been honored by many cancer and educational organizations in Egypt and abroad. We wanted to tap into a deeper perspective of Anwar’s story, and he took us to the most sensational yet real side we all need to know.
Anwar dreamt of just fighting at the tennis court, but God had other plans for him; he got to fight at the court of life!”
When we asked Anwar how did he excel in a game that he started as an adult, and how he beat cancer and got back again to the tennis court, He told us:
I believed that it is possible when I was told by all professional tennis players and coaches that it is impossible, and I also believed that it is possible when I’ve been told that no one ever got back to the court after their cancer journey. I chose to conquer both of these journeys. But in fact, they were one single journey. When I told the coach I want to be a professional tennis player, he told me simply; it is impossible, and it was the 1st hint of all the im-possibilities coming up my way! I flew to Spain, hoping to win the time or find a professional to believe in me, but the Spanish coach also told me “it’s impossible”. I took this journey alone, and I used to practice for around 8 hours a day till I got the card to enter the international ranking list! And this was a miracle! but I didn’t know what life will throw at me on the court during the 2nd world tournament I played.
“You have a complete failure in the mast cells” -They said-
This got me into the actual impossible journey, but I chose to try, I chose to try when I was down on my knees from chemotherapy, but dragging myself to the tennis court for 5 mins of practice. It was the 1st time, the racket felt so heavy, the court felt so big, and my body felt not mine but someone’s else! and here comes the 3 words that are the only key at this point:
“ACCEPTANCE, PATIENCE, AND HOPE”
When cancer hits, People tend to refuse it, but in order to survive it, we have to accept it in the 1st place, we have to accept the situation we are in, the nature of the pain, and the people who will walk away from him. Then, we have to have the patience to walk through this journey, and hold onto the hope very tight!
“Hope is the last thing ever lost”
Hope is really the last thing any human ever loses, and this was the reason why I started the movement of “The Hope Giver” because the only thing that keeps cancer patients going at any stage is hope. I believe that cancer might kill body cells, but cannot shatter your dreams, and cannot dim the light of your soul! And thankfully not only Egypt, but most of the Arab countries and a bunch of European ones joined the foundation of “The Hope Giver” and we are witnessing the 3rd round of it now.
How can someone with cancer maintain his mental health and regain his power?
“If we focused on what we don’t have we will never have enough, but if we looked at what we have we will end up having more.” This is how everyone should think not just cancer patients. We can deal with it as if it is a flu, and just keep moving and enjoying the little things. We can catch up with a friend, we can go for an outing, or just keep it all positive despite the pain.
“Purpose”, “Dream”, “Survival”
How do you connect to these 3 words?
For me, “purpose” is the reason why we live the life we chose, not the life we got obligated to live! The pain, suffering, and tests in life are mandatory, but we get to choose how to change this painful reality. “Dream” is what you really want in life, and to take one step towards it every day, one small step, and “Survival” is how to protect this dream along the way because without our dreams we cannot live.
“The non-ending battle”
Yeah, this is the one sentence that describes my life; I get no time to rest, I just keep on fighting all the time, fighting with patience.
