Singer Stan Walker Overhauls His Lifestyle

In the powerful documentary Stan Walker: The Fight of His Life, the New Zealand soul singer reveals his lengthy battle to get his strength back after a stomach cancer operation, and how at one point he believed he would die.

The 2009 Australian Idol winner told viewers how he went for a routine check-up only to be told he had inherited the cancer gene that killed 25 members of his family.

The check-up revealed the then 26-year-old star had gastric cancer, caused by the faulty CDH1 gene and his stomach would have to be removed, a concept he laughingly describes as “so weird”.

Walker said the cancer diagnosis had strengthened his bond with his mother, April.

“I’m the only one with the gene in my family, me and my mum,” he said.

Thankfully, Walker is back performing and has not lost his powerful voice. He has overhauled his lifestyle and is now an advocate of clean eating.

“We’re eating crap,” he said. “And that crap is, you know, doing things to our bodies. It’s making us lethargic. It’s affecting our brains and it’s affecting the way that we see ourselves and, like, just function in everyday life, you know.

“Our mental state. It’s affecting everything. But, like, I’m at the beginning of my journey and I’m starting to understand more and I’m starting to get it more that it’s so important to look after myself.”

Original article by Staff Reporter, News Corp Australia Network, Daily Telegraph, May 7, 2018.