A Cancer Survivor Calls Beating the Disease a ‘World Championship’

After surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2003, Daniel Jernazian turned his experience into a mission of hope, serving as a Make-A-Wish Australia ambassador from 2003 to 2015 and becoming the organization’s first commemorated Young Ambassador in 2010. He made history in 2005 as the only Australian wish recipient to meet basketball legend Michael Jordan and later volunteered alongside Shane Heal and Brett Brown to support Australia’s national basketball team during the 2010 FIBA tournament.

A two-time cancer survivor — having also overcome thyroid cancer in 2021 — Jernazian credits his sports mentality for shaping his resilience.

“Basketball was everything to me growing up,” he said. “I call beating cancer a ‘life World Championship.’ For me, I’m a two-time life World Champion.”

Jernazian has appeared on national media including, “The Today Show,” and collaborated with sports icons like Andrew Gaze to raise awareness for children with critical illness. In 2025, he released his memoir, “I Made Cancer Cry Twice.”

Transcript

You've worked alongside sports legends and raised significant awareness for children with critical illness. How did your passion for sports play a role in your survivorship?

I was always into sports, especially as a kid. Basketball was one of the main sports I played all the time, along with others at school. Over time, I played for different teams—mostly basketball. I think having that sports mentality of not giving up, being competitive, and saying to yourself, “I’m not going to give up, I’m not going to lose,” really helps. Just like in sports — you can be down by 20 points, 50 points, or just one — it doesn’t matter. It’s about having the mindset that you can get through it.

You’re going to do your best, and of course, having a great support system like your family helps. In the dynamic of a team, you’ve got your teammates — your friends — and you’re all battling together. It’s that mindset that you’re all in it together. You’re your own army if you have to be, and you’re going to go through everything, no matter what, and not give up.

I think it’s that competitive drive. It’s just like winning a championship. I actually call beating cancer a “life World Championship” — that’s what I call it, a life world title. For me, I feel like I’m a two-time life World Champion. That’s how I see it. It’s really about not giving up and seeing yourself as a champion.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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