THE WEIGHT OF HOPE

THE WEIGHT OF HOPE
Powerlifting Past Cancer
Exclusive Interview with Michael Burns
Featured in 'Innerviews'
Hosted by Allié McGuire

​Michael Burns is no stranger to heavy lifting—both in the gym and in life. After being diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, he fought through chemotherapy and radiation, refusing to let go of his passion for powerlifting. Today, cancer-free and holding multiple state records, he stands as living proof that resilience and faith can move far more than weight.

ALLIÉ: Looking back at the moment when you were first diagnosed with cancer, my first question for you today, Michael, is this: what was the hardest truth you had to face, and how did you find the strength to keep lifting both in the gym and in life?

MICHAEL: I think the first thing that came to my mind was that I was scared to death. My uncle died of the same thing. My cousin died of the same cancer. So in my eyes, I felt like I was being given a death sentence.

With that, I decided I was going to fight. I figured I would win either way. Either we would kill it with everything they put in my body, like the chemo and the radiation, or if I died, then either way, the cancer would be gone. That was my determination, and I dug deep.

​I was surrounded by a huge group of friends and family, and even perfect strangers who prayed for me and encouraged me. I took all of that with me, and I kept lifting. I kept working. I kept going to the gym.

Was I scared? Absolutely. I was scared because I did not know how my body would react to everything they were giving me. Chemo kills everything. It kills the good along with the bad.

But I tried to add humor into it. When I went to treatments, I would wear shirts to make people smile. I had one with a stick figure sitting on the floor with his knees up and his whole body on fire. It said, “I’m fine, everything is fine.”

My last day of chemo, I wore a Charlie Brown shirt and did the Charlie Brown dance while hooked up to the chemo just to make people smile. I remember my first day of treatment. I did not even have my port in yet. They had just hooked up the IV. You can wheel those things around anywhere, and I had to use the bathroom. I came out, and my nurse was standing there. She was amazing. She asked if I was feeling okay, and I said, “Wow, that stuff works fast,” because I already had no hair on top of my head. I thought for sure the chemo had taken it, but I never lost my hair. She got a kick out of that.

I fought. I fought for everyone I knew. I lost two good friends to cancer, so every time I go up on that platform to lift, I lift for all of them. For everyone fighting cancer. For those who lost the battle and for those still battling. That is why I lift. I want to inspire people.

​ALLIÉ: That is beautiful. And to your point, chemo may kill everything, but it did not kill your spirit. Humor really is its own kind of medicine. You leaned on it not just for yourself but for others. Powerlifting requires both physical and mental strength. How did your battle with cancer change your relationship with your body, your mind, and the way you define strength now?

MICHAEL: I fought with myself every day. My doctor told me, “You cannot lift stupid weight.” I said, “Define stupid weight.” What is stupid to me might not be stupid to you. Everyone has a different idea of what stupid weight is.

He sent me to his physical therapist. The first thing they asked was if I had a picture of myself lifting. I showed them one. They zoomed in on my neck, and they said, “What do you see?” I said, “I see my veins popping out.” They said, “Exactly. And what is hooked up right there?” I said, “My port. It is under the skin.” They said, “Right. Nothing is holding that in except your skin. All that pressure could blow it out, and if it does, you are dead.” I said, “Oh. Okay.” But I still went to the gym. I still did not know what stupid weight was. I remember lifting something and hearing people yelling across the gym, “Burns, put it down!” I said, “Okay.”

​Back to your question. It was mentally overwhelming. I could not do what I used to do. I had worked so hard. I was supposed to go to England in 2023 to compete at Worlds, and I could not because of the cancer. But I had to do something. I could not just sit and wait. I was either going to beat this or die fighting it. I could not stay home doing nothing.

How did it change me? It forced me to face the mental side of strength every single day. My body could not do what it did before, so I had to push through mentally. My wife helped a lot too. She made sure I had what I needed, even stuff cancer patients drink to help keep food down. I do not think I could ever drink one again, but I did it back then. Every day I got up and every day I went to the gym, I reminded myself of my goal. My goal was to beat cancer and re-qualify so I could get back on that platform.

ALLIÉ: Let’s talk about the platform. Let’s talk about World Records. Tell us about that.

MICHAEL: I earned my World Records in February 2024. I went to Michigan, did a meet, and smashed my old records. I broke every one of my state records and set new ones. It was a battle because I was not lifting my heaviest weights yet, but mentally I was focused. I told myself, “I am lifting this. No matter what.”

For the first time ever, I had all green lights. I hit every lift. In powerlifting, you get three attempts for squat, three for bench, and three for deadlift. I had never hit all of them before. That day, I did. I qualified for Worlds. When I went to Worlds in November, I was terribly sick. I did not realize until the drive home that it was the flu. I thought the cancer was back. My wife drove straight home without stopping so I could get to the hospital.

After Worlds, I was depressed. I felt like everything I worked for had fallen apart. But I got back into the gym and got my head right. Like you said, lifting is physical, but it is also mental. You look at the weight and think, “I could just get a forklift for this. Why am I doing it myself?” But you push anyway.

We went to Nationals in July, and I hit World Records. I smashed them. I squatted 640 pounds. I still watch the video. My wife was there. My kids were there. My sister, my niece, my son’s fiancé. Everyone.

At those competitions, there are two platforms: Red and Blue. My wife told me that when I went up for my third attempt, which was for the world record, even the other platform stopped lifting and started cheering for me. Everyone was screaming and yelling for me to get that lift. It was incredible.

People heard my story. My singlet has a cancer ribbon, and it says “Burn Strong,” and on the back it says “Platform Ready.” After hearing my story, they interviewed me. They did a full piece on me and what powerlifting has done for my life. I hit three world records that day. My total was around 1,560 pounds. And I want to keep going.

​ALLIÉ: Just keep going. And how wonderful to have your family there, celebrating with you and supporting you. After beating cancer and setting records, what message do you hope your story leaves behind for someone who just received a diagnosis and feels like giving up?

MICHAEL: Do not ever give up. Not ever… I tell everyone they can use my story. I do not care about fame or money. I just want to inspire people not to give up. There were days I did not want to go to the gym. I was exhausted. I had chemo. I had radiation. I felt terrible. I never threw up, but I had no energy at all. And I still went to the gym. Maybe I was not lifting 640 pounds. Maybe I was only lifting 125. But I was still doing it.

You have to dig in. You will have days when you are tired and do not want to fight anymore. But you have to look around at the people who love you. Fight for them. Fight for yourself. Fight so your life can be longer and so the people who love you do not have to lose you.

​Losing someone is devastating.
I have lost two friends to cancer. Survivor’s guilt is real. I struggle with it every day.

At Worlds, one of the spotters came up to me afterward. I did not know his story at all. His mom had died of cancer. He hugged me and cried, and I cried too. These two huge grown men standing there hugging and crying. Because he saw me fighting and it meant something to him. That is why I share my story. Even if someone is not into powerlifting, I want them to move their body. Go to the gym. Walk on a treadmill. Lift a two-and-a-half-pound dumbbell. I will still be right there cheering for them.

The sport I am in is the best in the world, in my opinion. Even though you compete against others, everyone is still cheering for you. No one says, “Is that all you can lift?” They help you. They give you tips. They want you to succeed.
And if powerlifting is not your thing, that is completely fine. I help people in the gym all the time. I make programs for them. I answer questions. I just want to help.

ALLIÉ: It’s the power of community. Powerlifting has it. The cancer community has it. It’s ‘community’ that helps us lift each other.

MICHAEL: Absolutely. And we need more of that. Especially men. We are terrible at it. We push everything down. We pretend we are fine.

I cry. I do not care. If someone mocks me, we will both be crying. I am kidding, I would not hit anyone. But seriously, men need to lean on each other more. Whether it is cancer, mental health, anything. Reach out. Lean on your people. There is enough negativity in the world. We need more positive. So, I am just trying to make the world a little better each day. I know it sounds like a sales pitch, but it is true. Lifting weights or not, I want to leave a mark. I do not need a statue or anything like that. I want people to remember me as someone who tried to help. Someone positive. I want to leave a legacy for my kids, my grandkids, and my great-grandkids to be proud of. Not fame or money. Just impact.

When I went through treatment, my heart broke every day. Everyone there had cancer, but everyone had a different story. I met a man who was diagnosed the same day he lost his house in a fire. I hugged him. Another man was in his second round. The cancer was in his brain, and he was getting radiation so he could die with mental awareness. Those stories stay with you. That is why I want people to fight. Fight until your last breath. Never ever give up. I think it was Sylvester Stallone who said it. It is not about being knocked down. It is about how many times you get back up. Because life will knock you down. We just have to keep getting up. ∎

Learn more about Michael Burns as an AwareNow Official Ambassador for Cancer:
www.awarenowmedia.com/michael-burns