June is National Cancer Survivors Month, and we’re sharing stories and insights from survivors in our CARES community. Royce Belcher connected to CARES by attending Scott Hamilton & Friends. He and his family had such a great time, they sponsored the following year through his CPA firm.

Thank you, Royce, for sharing your story to inspire hope and raise awareness about the importance of continued investment in cancer research.

What were your biggest challenges during your treatment?

I attributed my symptoms to excessive lifting in the gym and hard work on the family farm. I assumed it was many other health ailments, but never cancer. There was no history of cancer in our family. I was extremely active, working out five days a week and running Spartan races [25-30 miles] across the United States. How could I have cancer? Cancer couldn’t happen to me. But I was wrong, and I was diagnosed with colon cancer in February 2023. Unlike so many others, I was lucky that my cancer journey was caught in the early stages.

Has surviving cancer changed your outlook on life?

Going through cancer is absolutely life-changing. From major conversations with my friend and minister to others, the entire experience makes you realize what is important in your life. It’s not the daily hustle and routine. It’s my incredible wife who stood by me on good days and bad. It’s the entire physician care team that stepped up to administer my treatment. It’s realizing the depth and inner strength you yourself possess. It’s realizing we all have an appointment with death, but you don’t have to go quietly. In the movie Back to School, one of the best statements by Rodney Dangerfield is “rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Refusing to give up and in. Being hard-headed has carried me through so many obstacles.

One of the most emotional moments for me was participating in the Montana Spartan races 10 weeks post-surgery and after my first round of chemo. I honestly thought finishing would be the emotional part, but it wasn’t. It was entering the starting pen with my wife just like I had always done, refusing to quit and refusing to no longer be me.

What message would you share with someone diagnosed with cancer?

Never quit and never give up. Make sure you advocate for yourself. No one else will do it.

I love the fact we have found the CARES organization and hopefully are able to give back just a little bit to others. Keep fighting, keep pushing, keep living.

Survivor Spotlight: Royce Belcher

Survivor Spotlight: Jenny McClain