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Granddad Once Given Just Eight Weeks To Live Becomes Bodybuilding Champion

Granddad Once Given Just Eight Weeks To Live Becomes Bodybuilding Champion

The 63-year-old has beaten cancer with style

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

In November last year, 63-year-old Denton Wilson was named the over 60s bodybuilding champion at the DFAC world finals in Miami, Florida, USA.

This in itself is quite an impressive achievement, but it's all the more remarkable considering he was told he had eight weeks to live when he was in his 40s.

Indeed, if it weren't for a tragic twist of fate, Mr Wilson wouldn't have had a chance.

He was born in Jamaica and moved to the UK when he was nine-years-old, where he was raised by his mother. He only met his estranged birth father for the first time in his early 40s, upon returning to Jamaica.

But after two weeks of getting to know the 79-year-old, he discovered his dad had prostate cancer. The day after he arrived back in the UK, he learned that his dad had died.

After the funeral, he went and had himself checked up, with blood tests revealing he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer, which required urgent life-saving treatment if he was going to have any chance of survival.

Mr Wilson only knew his dad for two weeks before he died.
SWNS

He had surgery to remove his cancerous prostate at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in 1998 in Sheffield, and despite being told he only had eight weeks to live, Mr Denton has gone on to become a bodybuilding champion, 20 years on.

Reflecting on his extraordinary tale, Mr Denton said his father's death gave him life.

He said: "I was given a second chance at life. His death gave me life. At the time I knew nothing at all about the disease and I was healthy.

"If I never met my dad then I would have been dead a long time ago.

"I saved up for a long time to go to Jamaica. It felt like a miracle to finally meet him. It was like finding the final piece in a jigsaw puzzle. But he was on his death bed.

"Before I flew back I told him I loved him and gave him a kiss. I didn't want to give up on him."

Mr Wilson went on to be crowned the over 60s bodybuilding world champion.
SWNS

But Mr Wilson was taken completely off guard by his own diagnosis shortly after.

He said: "I was devastated. I couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to die.

"I said I wanted time to think about my options but the doctor said 'you don't have time'.

"He said I was going to die."

Mr Wilson initially took up bodybuilding in a bid to regain some strength following the surgery, but in reality he ended up stronger than ever, winning the British over 40s, 50s and 60s bodybuilding championships.

The cherry on the cake came last year when he won the DFAC world finals.

Mr Wilson said: "I worked hard to achieve my status and want people to look up to me. I want to help other people to achieve.

"I am so happy and so proud of myself. A lot of people die from cancer but I was given a second chance."

As if this wasn't enough, he also gives motivational talks to inspire cancer sufferers and has written a book about his experiences, entitled 'A Man Dies Every Hour'.

Love your work, Mr Wilson.

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: UK News, Inspirational, Interesting, Community