Terminally Optimistic

What would you do if you knew your time was limited?

At just 30 years old, Iain Ward was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour and told he might have only a few years left to live.

Rather than retreat from life, he set himself an extraordinary goal: to break the world record for the most money ever raised by a single person running a marathon. What began as one man’s determination to leave something meaningful behind grew into a global fundraising movement, inspiring millions of people to follow his journey and help raise money for cancer research.

In this deeply personal memoir, Iain shares the story behind the social media phenomenon The King of Chemo – from the heartbreaks and setbacks that shaped him, to the challenges that tested him, the community that carried him, and the moments of humour and hope that made even the darkest days worth living.

Honest, irreverent and unexpectedly uplifting, this is not a book about dying. It’s about discovering what gives life meaning when nothing can be taken for granted, and what can happen when one persons determination inspires thousands of others to join the mission.

A story of resilience, purpose and the extraordinary power of ordinary people coming together, this is a memoir that reminds us that while we cant choose how much time we have, we can choose what we do with it.