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Archive for the ‘Cancer Speakers’ Category

Bryant Gumbel

While co-hosting “Live! with Regis and Kelly” Tuesday morning, Bryant Gumbel announced that he recently had cancer surgery to remove a malignant tumor on his lung.

Gumbel told viewers that he at first wanted to keep his surgery private, but told them that part of his lung was removed in the surgery. He stated that he and his doctor hope that his treatment is completed.

“We had told a few people, we told my family, obviously. I even kept it from my staff at Real Sports. So I’m okay for the time being,” he said. “I’m hoping they greenlight me to play golf again.”

We all wish Bryant well!

Each Olympics seems to produce a handful of stars that will remain popular for years to come, one of whom is almost certainly Dorothy Hamill,  the Olympic gold medalist in figure skating. However, few Olympians have enjoyed the enduring popularity of Dorothy Hamill.

Dorothy Hamill, Olympic Gold medalist and breast cancer survivor, is a popular speaker today.

As a 19-year old, Hamill won the Gold Medal at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. In so doing, she joined other figure skaters such as Peggy Fleming and Kristi Yamaguchi as American icons.

After the Olympics, Hamill turned professional. She skated with many productions, including eight years with Ice Capades. She had four ABC television prime time specials produced in her honor and produced and starred in her own touring productions of “Cinderella – Frozen In Time”, “Hansel, Gretel, the Witch and the Cat”, and “Nutcracker On Ice”. She won an Emmy for her starring role in “Romeo and Juliet.”

Hamill was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame and the Figure Skating Hall of Fame and was honored by being asked to run the torch into the Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City in 2002 and skate the closing ceremonies with vocalist Harry Connick Jr.

Hamill is very involved in charity work including the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the International Special Olympics, Big Brothers & Sisters of America, Buoniconti Fund, Olympic Aid, Vaccine Fund, American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House and teaching blind children to skate through the March of Dimes.

In late 2007, she released her memoir entitled “A Skating Life: My Story”, which made the New York Times Best Seller List. The following year, Hamill was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was reportedly caught early.

She’s remains one of the most popular Olympic speakers and has become one of the most sought-after cancer speakers as well. PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent recently procured her to speak at a cancer conference in the Washington D.C. area. She currently splits her time between Nantucket, MA, where she runs the Dorothy Hamill Figure Skating Fantasy Camp, and Maryland.

If you would like to find out how to hire Dorothy Hamill for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Dorothy Hamill booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for sports stars, athletes and celebrities. Call 800 966.1380.

NBA legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 62, has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells. The disease was diagnosed in December. He is taking oral medication to treat the disease.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revealed in an interview Monday that he has Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.

“The word ‘leukemia’ is a very frightening word,” he said in a phone interview from New York. “In many instances, it’s a killer and it’s something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you’re going to beat it.”

“If it wasn’t for my health-consciousness, I would have just passed on the effects as something I could ignore,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “But I felt it didn’t make sense to ignore it.”

“The fact that you can manage the disease means that you can live your life,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “The fact that you have to go and get your blood analyzed and consult with your doctor might be a minor inconvenience, or you have to take your medication every day. But if you do these things, you can lead a normal life.”

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The NFL is doing its part to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer by supporting October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The league has placed pink on players’ shoes, gloves, arm bands and hats. There’s a pink ribbon on the field, pink towels on the bench and ribbons on the shirts of the referees. Coaches and game staff personnel will wear pink ribbon/NFL shield pins on the sidelines while the league and teams will run breast cancer awareness messages during the month with pregame and in-stadium initiatives.

NFL supports breast cancer awareness by turning pink

Although the NFL is a man’s game, many of its members have been touched by the disease, including…

• Brett Favre…Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings…Wife is a breast cancer survivor
• DeAngelo Williams…Running Back, Carolina Panthers…Mother is a breast cancer survivor
• Bradie James…Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys…Lost Mother to breast cancer
• Ronde Barber…Defensive Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers…Mother is a breast cancer survivor
• Ryan Denney…Defensive End, Buffalo Bills…Mother is a breast cancer survivor

Brett Favre & wife Deanna

Along with Favre’s wife Deanna, arguably the most publicized case of breast cancer to hit the NFL family occurred when Hall of Fame coach Don Shula lost his wife Dorothy to the disease in 1991.

Said Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter about wearing pink, “I’m more than comfortable with my manhood to wear pink shoes. I know we’re going to auction them off and send the money from the proceeds of that. So whatever I can do to help in that situation is good. And I think it’s a good cause.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women. The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that each year more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease and 40,000 will die from it. Because the disease touches so many people, cancer survivors are popular speakers at fundraisers, survivor conferences, medical meetings, etc.

A couple of the more popular cancer speakers and breast cancer survivors are….

• Dorothy Hamill…The 1976 Olympic gold medal figure skater was diagnosed in 2008
• Ann Jillian…A three-time Emmy nominated and Golden Globe winning actress and singer, Jillian was diagnosed in 1985
• Robin Roberts…The ABC “Good Morning America” co-host and former ESPN anchor was diagnosed in 2007
• Peggy Fleming…The 1968 Olympic gold medal figure skater was diagnosed in 1998
• Marcia Wallace…The longtime actress best known for her role on “The Bob Newhart Show” was diagnosed in 1985
• Linda Ellerbee…The award-winning journalist was diagnosed in 1992
• Olivia Newton-John…The four time Grammy-winning singer was diagnosed in 1992

Cancer effects everyone in one form or another. It’s great to see the NFL use its platform to raise awareness and hopefully save lives in the process.

If you would like to find out how to hire  a cancer speaker for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request cancer speaker booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for athletes and celebrities.

Patrick Swayze dead at 57

Patrick Swayze, who fought a long, hard battle for two years with pancreatic cancer, has died  Monday at age 57.

Swayze’s publicist Annett Wolf says that Swayze died Monday with his family at his side.

Swayze was best  known for films such as  “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost” which put him on the map as a film star.

We will miss you Patrick. Thank you for your brave fight.  Our hearts go out to your wife, Lisa and your family.

Rest in Peace

I often get inquiries from organizations interested in hiring celebrities who are cancer survivors. The celebrity cancer speaker talks about a variety of topics related to cancer, from their experience of how they overcame the disease to early detection to how important a positive attitude is when fighting it. And since they’re celebrities, people are more likely to listen and follow their advice.

So who are the most popular cancer speakers? There are too many to list here, but a few of the most popular include …

Robin Roberts … The Good Morning America co-host was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. Since then, she has become an advocate for breast cancer awareness and the importance of early detection. Her book From The Heart: Eight Rules To Live By, includes a chapter on her experience with breast cancer.

Bob Gibson … The baseball hall of  famer is a survivor of prostate cancer and regularly speaks across the country at prostate cancer awareness events.

Dorothy Hamill … The Olympic figure skating gold medalist was recently diagnosed in 2008 with breast cancer.

Ann Jillian … The award-winning actress was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985 and underwent a double mastectomy. Her battle with the disease was chronicled in the top-rated 1988 made-for-TV film, The Ann Jillian Story, in which Jillian portrayed herself.

Lance Armstong … He has served as an inspiration to more cancer patients than arguably any other celebrity. The bicycling legend overcame testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain to win seven consecutive Tour de France titles between 1999 – 2005. He formed the Lance Armstrong Foundation to provide support to those diagnosed with cancer.

Dave Dravecky … His baseball career was cut short when a tumor was discovered in his pitching arm and ultimately led to the amputation of his arm and shoulder. Dave went onto write two books about his battle with cancer and founded Outreach of Hope Ministry. He’s also a very popular Christian speaker.

Marcia Wallace … Best known for her Emmy-award winning role of Bart’s teacher, Mrs. Krabappel, on “The Simpsons” and as Carol Kester on “The Bob Newhart Show”, Marcia was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985. Since that time, she has become a leading breast cancer advocate and speaks of her experience around the country.

Peggy Fleming … The Olympic figure skating gold medalist was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998.

So what types of organizations are likely to hire cancer speakers? Below are a few examples …

• Len Dawson, NFL Hall of Famer & prostate cancer survivor,  spoke at a men’s prostate cancer awareness night.
• Ann Jillian spoke at an oncology managers conference
• Dorothy Hamill spoke at a cancer survivor’s conference sponsored by a hospital
• Lance Armstrong spoke about staying fit and taking care of yourself at a global conference

If you would like to find out how to hire a cancer speaker for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement or special event, you can request  booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency or call 800.966.1380 .