129. Following a Path of Purpose with Pelotonia’s Joe Apgar

His parents used to call him Honest Abe.

As a really grounded and thoughtful young kid, Joe Apgar played sports, collected baseball cards, and looked up to his grandfather, a man whose steadfast virtuousness lives on in family legend – as told by Joe. He describes his childhood as idyllic and loving, all supported by a strong sense of community in his smalltown home.

But, as we know well, trauma escapes no one. And how we let these experiences shape us is what matters most at the end of the day.  

Joe tells of his sister's kidney cancer diagnosis at the young age of five, a memory that stays burnt into his brain to this day as he recalls a stark conversation on life and death with father. Surviving to become a nurse herself, this experience was the first of a few that lead Joe to where he is today, President of Pelotonia, one of the world’s most recognizable and revered cancer charity brands.

We also go deep on Joe’s own bout with testicular cancer, and how overcoming the disease isn’t exactly a prerequisite to fundraising for cancer research – but it sure does help his understanding and ability to communicate the dire perspective shared by so many patients around the world.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Pelotonia: pelotonia.org
• Linkedin: Joe Apgar
• Instagram: @joe.apgar
• Episode 20: How a Three-Time Cancer Survivor Dedicates His Life to the Future, with Doug Ulman

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.