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From time to time we read in the papers the stories of people who have fought against cancer and won..Needless to say, chemotherapies and medical treatment play a prominent role, but almost all of those who overcome this mortal sickness have something in common: They keep  their joy of living afresh and refuse to be beaten.

Mike Mitchell is a Scottish movie star. Having starred in such films as Gladiator, Brave Heart, Planet and Freight, Mike Mitchell’s life story is intriguingly like a film scenario. In as much as an interesting story, I am convinced that Mike’s story is a “ray of hope” for many people lingering on that fine thread between life and death.

Born in 1955 in Scotland, during his youth Mike signed up  the commando unit of the British Forces called the Royal Marines and worked as a bomb disposal expert and anti-terrorist specialist at home and abroad. When he was diagnosed with leukemia, Mike was thirty-five years old and did not even know the meaning of the word. When the doctor said, “From now on your days are numbered”, he asked, ”How much longer do I have?” The doctor responded to Mike’s query with another question, “How much longer do you wish to live?” Mike replied unhesitatingly, “Forever.” So the doctor said, “Then live on!” Since that instant, Mike started leading a life which held a special meaning for himself. His greatest chance was his strong will-power and he believed that he would be thoroughly cured if he concentrated on the subject. He became very sick during the treatment and lost a lot of weight but he never lost his faith that he would be cured. A year later, when his body started responding to the therapy, the doctors recommended that if he went to a recreation centre and do some form of exercises, he could enhance his physical resistance. He had never been to a recreation centre before. He was so weak and had lost so much weight that he did not know where to start. During that period he became acquainted by a Scottish body building champion which offered him a new phase in his life. Before they started working together, his trainer said, “First of all you must set yourself a goal, then we shall base our future work on the evaluation and follow-up of the developments.” After a long silence Mike said, “OK, I wish to be a Scottish Bodybuilding Champion like you!” The trainer laughed, “It is impossible,” he said, “but it could at least be your goal.”

Mike did not believe in miracles but he believed in the power of the mind. He was convinced that if we set our mind on something, we could motivate our brain to make it come true,    He firmly believed that if he concentrated on the subject sufficiently, he would overcome his ailment and become the Scottish champion. Turning a deaf ear to all those who laughed at him and ridiculed him, he concentrated on becoming the Scottish Champion.  When he came last on the first contest he entered, he did not give up his goal. On the contrary, he continued working with greater urge and decisiveness. At the end of four years of hard training, he managed to overcome his sickness, becoming the Scottish Body Champion at the same time. Mike’s success is not limited to this. First of all, Mike entered numerous contests throughout Europe and won awards. When he became the World Champion in 2002, he was forty-seven. He became the World Champion five times and Champion of the Universe twice. In 2005 he participated in the contest representing Turkey and came first. In 2009 the World Federation of Body Building accepted him into the Federation “Hall of Fame” and honoured him with the Title “Living Legend” Needless to say all these championships contributed to his professional life and enabled him to star in films. At first he was asked to appear on the movies due to his physical size and fitness but later, thanks to his success in acting, he played the leading role of Captain Morgan in the film entitled Planet, which was also shown in our country. What makes Mike “special” is not only his joy of life and his victory over cancer, the championships he won and being a movie star. At the same time Mike has a huge heart full of love. Witnessing the fight of young children against cancer at the hospitals where he received treatment, Mike has spent a large portion of his income from movies and contests on associations against cancer. Every Christmas day he dons the outfit of an Elf, assistant to Father Christmas, and goes to visit the children in the hospitals. He gives gifts to ease their pain and shares his never ending energy in his heart with them. Mike has been living in Fethiye since 2003. While he continues taking part in films, he also acts as a voluntary tourism ambassador for our country. Being the lead in the British Feature film entitled “Rough Around the Edges” Mike convinced the producers to shoot the scenes, which were originally planned to be shot along the Spanish coasts, in Fethiye. It is being considered now to have a premier of the film in Turkey when complete around December 2010. I had a chat with Mike at Ecesaray Marina in Fethiye, when he said, “Turkey is my second homeland. I feel very happy and peaceful here. I do my very best to promote Fethiye and Turkey abroad.”

I asked Mike, who started his new life at an age which the poet called “halfway in life” and who undersigned numerous successes in a very short while, what his new goals were.  “I plan to go on a world tour with my sailing boat sometime in the future. Furthermore, I have starred in numerous international films. If I receive proposals, I shall be very happy to act in Turkish movie and television films. There is no end of the road for me,” he remarked and continued by saying, “Each goal that is achieved is the beginning of a new road and a new target. All you have to do is ask for it and believe that you shall be successful. If you so wish, when you are diagnosed with cancer at the age of thirty-five, you can trip death and even become the  Champion of the World!”