Mack Dryden is a very funny man ! He’s also a double cancer survivor. Born and raised in Mississippi, with a MA degree in creative writing, he decided to spend a little time in Europe before settling into a career, and by a strange turn of events, ran head on into a Moroccan prison. After having entirely too much fun there, he came back to the U.S. as a newspaper reporter, won some AP writing awards, and then finally found his calling; as he puts it ” Making people laugh until their face hurts “. He has been on ” The Tonight Show “, with Johnny and Jay, had numerous acting roles, including ” JAG ” and a recurring role on ” the Guardian “, and was hand picked by Bill Maher as a  staff writer for ” Politically Incorrect “. To top that off, he’s a black belt  Karate champion, and a published author.

Josh Sundquist is an absolutely amazing young man that is not letting anything stand in his way, especially the battle with bone cancer that left him with only one leg. At the tender age of 10, after a year of chemo, and then amputation, he turned to motivational speaking. At 16 he learned to ski, and six years later represented the U.S. as a ski racer in the Paralympic Games in Turino, Italy. At 18, he became the second youngest person to be accepted as a Professional Member of the National Speakers Assoc., and through his life has been a keynote speaker at schools, Fortune 500 Companies, and the White House. He has a degree in Business and a Masters in Communication, has had articles published in The Washington Post, Daily Guideposts, and Current, has co-authored a teen devotional book, and his new book ” Just Don’t Fall ” will be in stores in January. And in his spare time, he served a two year term as the National Spokesperson for the Combined Federal Campaign, an effort that raises over 300 million dollars a year for charities, and founded the ” LessThanFour.org ” website, which has become the world’s largest social networking website for amputees. If anyone is worried about what’s happening to the younger generation, just take a look at Josh. I think we’re in very good hands.

Anne Shimabukuro is a very accomplished business woman. A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with an MBA from Harvard Business School, she has climbed the corporate ladder to reach the office of Vice President of Treasury for Marriott International. At 37 years old, and a mother of two young children, she was on top of the world, and then she received the shocking news. In December of 2005, she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. She was not about to let that be the end of her story and immediately underwent surgery. While going through the follow up chemo and radiation therapies, she continued to work full time and also began her role as an advocate to help spread awareness and the need for funding for this deadly disease. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors of Food & Friends in Washington DC, and volunteers with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Venus Gines, then a flight attendant, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 1992, and consequently decided to focus her graduate research on cancer in Latinas. In 1996, she developed a culturally specific video/picture book on Breast Cancer ( Una Nueva Esperanza ), and later on Prostate Cancer ( Hombre Sin Limite ) for the American Cancer Society. Soon ” Dia de la Mujer Latina ” became a reality when Venus, together with the ACS and the Mexican Consulate’s office, implemented the first non-traditional culturally relevant Latino family health fiesta. Since then she has served on numerous committees, panels, and round-tables focusing on health care and cancer, and has received the Companeros Award, The Vision of Hope Award., and the National Latina Activist Award. In October of 2009, Venus was invited to speak at the White House, by First Lady Michele Obama, in an event to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Barbara Hillary, who in 2007, at 75 years young, became the first African American woman on record to reach the North Pole on skis. Now to make it even more amazing, she did it without the part of the lung that she lost to cancer. After being raised in Harlem during the depression, losing her father at 2, and spending a lonely period in a foster home, she decided to stand on her own two feet, and make something of her life. She received her masters degree, spent half a century in nursing, retired at 62, and in her own words ” has refused to be boring “. Since her retirement, she has photographed polar bears in Churchill, learned snowmobiling, dog sledding and skiing. Her last adventure was the South Pole in 2011, making her the first African American woman to reach both poles. No telling what’s next for this unstoppable force.

Though this amazing man needs no introduction, it is always an honor to recognize the incredible achievements of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Born in South Africa to a family with modest means, his love of learning earned him a degree in education, and a masters in theology. His rise to prominence began with his appointment as the Anglican Dean of Johannesburg in 1975. From there he found a platform to speak against the injustice of the apartheid government, and as he continued to advance to higher levels of office, his voice was heard around the world. In 1984 he received the Nobel Peace Prize, and shortly after that he was appointed as the first black Archbishop of Cape Town. As he introduced Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s new president, he knew there was more work left to do, and accepted his post as the head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Since then he has founded the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation, served as chair of The Elders, and though supposedly has retired, continues to travel the world speaking for peace and equality.
Oh and by the way, he is a Prostate Cancer Survivor.