KARIEGA – At 20-years-old, Winley Martin from Kariega thought he had time. Time to chase dreams later, to fix relationships later, to start living properly one day. Cancer took that illusion away.
During treatment, Martin experienced a complication that was never clearly explained to him beforehand. He says no specialist warned him that paralysis was a possibility.
“The specialist never really told me that I was going to be paralysed,” Martin said. “We were not expecting that. It was because of the chemotherapy; the substances in it made my whole spinal cord brittle.”
Positive approach
The loss of mobility was not announced in a single moment. It unfolded gradually, forcing Martin to process a reality he had never been prepared for.
For him, surviving cancer became as much a mental battle as a physical one. Central to that was what he describes as a “leap of faith”.
“Leap of faith is very crucial for cancer survivors,” he said. “It helps you believe in the whole process and stay positive.”
Martin said he never questioned God about what he was going through. Instead, he focused on continuing to fight. “I never questioned God for what was happening,” he said. “I just kept on fighting and I always had the faith that I would get better. I turned all the negative thoughts into positives.”
He believes that mindset is necessary not only for cancer patients, but for anyone facing hardship. “Anybody in this world needs to have that leap of faith,” he said. “Your faith needs to be super strong because it carries you through a lot of things.”
Change in views
One of the most emotional milestones in his recovery came when he returned to the gym. Fitness, he said, was a core part of his identity before cancer.
“Walking back into the gym was one of the most beautiful feelings in the world,” Martin said. “I’m a gym rat. Going back made my heart so happy because I could get back to who I was after everything I went through.”
Looking back, Martin says he would tell his younger self to keep believing, even when the outcome felt impossible. “I would tell myself to never stop believing in what I can achieve,” he said.
Cancer also fundamentally changed how he views life. Before his diagnosis, Martin believed there would always be more time. “Before the cancer, I thought I had time; time to chase dreams later, time to fix relationships later,” he said. “Cancer took that illusion away from me.”
He said when life is suddenly at risk, everyday worries lose their significance. “What matters is waking up, breathing, loving people properly and living with purpose,” he said.
Sage advice
To young people struggling with their own challenges, Martin is careful not to dismiss their pain. “Your pain is real, but it doesn’t define the end of your story,” he said. “Strength isn’t pretending you’re okay. It’s asking for help, sitting with the fear and still choosing to move forward.”
His message, he said, is not to wait for tragedy before appreciating life. “Don’t wait for a life-threatening moment to appreciate life,” Martin said. “Say what needs to be said. Chase what scares you.”
Over time, his relationship with cancer shifted. He admits he was angry at first, but that anger eventually transformed. “I really fell in love with the journey,” he said. “I turned everything from negativity to positivity.”
So much so, he said, that being declared cancer-free brought unexpected emotions. “I actually got mad when I was declared cancer-free,” Martin said. “I had adapted so easily to the process and the journey.”
For those newly diagnosed, his advice is direct and uncompromising. “Believe in yourself and do not stop fighting,” he said. “The journey won’t be easy, but it’s what you make of it.”
Martin places strong emphasis on mental conditioning and warns against allowing illness to become identity. “If your mind is not sick, you are not sick,” he said. “Your body is sick, not your mind.”
Even during paralysis, he pushed himself relentlessly. “I was sliding on the floor to the bathroom,” he said. “I refused to stop.”
For Martin, mastering the mind was the true victory; one that allowed him not only to survive cancer, but to live beyond it.
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