Supporting Champions 048: Dave Smith on choosing to live
Dave Smith, Paralympic champion shares his emotional story intertwining sporting pursuit and cancer survival. This interview is a deep one, it’s a full existential exploration of what is important, how and what we pursue and the focus on what really matters in our lives. I had the truly humbling, moving and inspirational experience of speaking to Dave Smith to tell his utterly remarkable story of sporting endeavour, fighting cancer and choosing to live life.
Show notes:
Living with purpose, the benefits and negatives of social media and the way in which the world can rapidly change
External and internal effects of spinal tumour
Reaching out for help
Regaining control better sleep, better nutrition, better exercise, reconnecting with passions and support of friends and mentors
Dave’s story form the beginning
Foot deformity from birth
Tumour symptoms from 17
Overtraining and pushing too hard
Bobsleigh challenge
Classifying for Paralympic sport
2009 joining a supported rowing programme
Rowing support and investigation saved Dave’s life and identified the tumour
2010 tumour diagnosis, life changed but sport was the coping mechanism
Re-diagnosis
Cancer diagnosis and the way in which you deal with it is very individual, use what works for you, Dave chose to use it as a battle and threw himself into sport.
The difference between the ‘have to’ and ‘want to’ goals
Who are you and what defines you, what is your purpose?
Links
Dave's website
https://davidsmithathlete.com/
Dave's blog
https://davidsmithathlete.com/vblog
Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs
Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve
Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/
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