Picture of health with Tony McEachern

Tony McEachern’s life has been anything but predictable.

In 2002, he competed in the Raid Gauloises in Vietnam. It’s an adventure race, but for this adventure you need to be able to run, bike, paddle and climb your way through a 620-mile course.

In 2003, he was biking on Longboat Key. He had a full seizure. He was 33.

What followed was a four-year battle with brain cancer, multiple surgeries and four years of chemotherapy.

McEachern said his cancer journey was like his adventure races in many ways. He knew he was going to have to undergo surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. He knew his body would start to fail. He just didn’t know when or where it would hit him hardest.

He overcame his cancer and started the Team Tony Cancer Foundation to support other cancer fighters, but his life is still far from predictable. He works at Village Bikes and manages his foundation, putting in 14-hour days more often than not.

Yet, amid all that unpredictability, one thing remained unwaveringly dependable. His dedication to fitness and nutrition.

“I (made changes) progressively over the past 15 years. The more fit I became, the more people I hung around with. But really, once I got diagnosed it was important to start eating clean.

“I really avoid bread. I won’t have cereal or anything for breakfast. I avoid that. I don’t eat red meat. The last time I tried red meat I felt sick, because I hadn’t been eating it so long. That’s the same thing with dairy. I may have a little bit of cheese with something, but I usually don’t do it. Today, I had a lot of fruits, some nuts like almonds — just light and easy.

“I’d say it’s a little tough, but it’s tough for everybody. The thing with me is I’m more sensitive to it. I have an alarm in my phone to make sure I take my medication and make sure I’m eating right. You just can’t give yourself the option to not do it.

“Throughout the entire foundation … one of the big things we talk about is nutrition and exercise.

“The dinner plate is comfortable. At that point when you’re diagnosed, you want comfort. You don’t want to be thinking about food and what not, but that’s what you should be thinking about. Fortunately, my wife was brave, and she was on me all the time about eating right. She eats better than I do. She was on it every day … every day, every hour.

“You just have to get outside and move. Start walking. Do it once a day for a half hour and then cut it down to four or five times a week for a little longer. Just slowly edge people in, because if you do too much, you inundate them, and they don’t do anything.

“Surround yourself with people you want to be like. If you don’t know how to do something, surround yourself with people who do. It’s the same thing with food.”