Westminster Alumnus Authors Book on Cancer Survival

Sean Swarner, a 1997 Westminster College graduate from Boulder, Colo., recently authored Keep Climbing: How I Beat Cancer and Reached the Top of the World.

Swarner is the only person in the world to be diagnosed with both Hodgkin's disease and Askin's sarcoma. He was diagnosed in the fourth and final stage of Hodgkin's disease at the age of 13, and doctors expected him to live for no more than three months. He overcame his illness only to be stricken a second time when a deadly golf ball-sized tumor attacked his right lung. After the removal of the Askin's tumor, Swarner was expected to live less than two weeks, but a decade later and with only partial use of his lungs, he became the first cancer survivor to climb Mt. Everest.

"My story is not just about illness, heartache, and pain; it's about something greater," Swarner said. "It's about hope; it's about helping others and never quitting. It's about personal battles with the elements and coming out on top of the world&literally."

"The thing about cancer is that it forces you to focus on what is important and pushes you to the limits of your determination," stated Lance Armstrong's book endorsement. "As more people survive - and even thrive - beyond a cancer diagnosis, the disease is losing its status as an automatic death sentence. In being the first cancer survivor to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Sean Swarner not only realized his dream, but also gave hope to millions of people affected by cancer. He has proved, once again, that there is life beyond cancer diagnosis and that there is always reason to believe."

"I want to use this accomplishment as a way to bring hope to others facing seemingly insurmountable odds," Swarner said. "I want to encourage those touched by cancer to dream big and never give up."

Swarner's book, which is published by Atria, a subsidiary of Simon and Schuster, can be found at many bookstores and online.

Swarner serves as president and co-founder of The CancerClimber Association, an inspirational speaker, and chief spokesperson for International Spirit of Life Foundation. Contact Swarner at sean@cancerclimber.org for more information.