Sean Swarner: From Cancer Survivor to World Explorer
We talk a lot about success on Be the Giraffe — chasing it, building it, and defining it for yourself. But what happens when you reach the goal and it doesn’t feel like you thought it would? That’s what my guest this week, Sean Swarner, had to face — after doing things most people can’t even imagine.
Sean shouldn’t be alive. At 13, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and told he had three months to live. At 16, lightning struck twice — a completely unrelated cancer, Askin’s sarcoma, with a 14-day prognosis. Doctors didn’t think he’d see his next birthday, let alone build a life. He lost a lung along the way. But he lived.
And then he climbed.
With one functioning lung, Sean set out to do something no one in history had done: climb the Seven Summits (the highest mountain on every continent), ski to both the North and South Poles, and later run the World Marathon Challenge — seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. These weren’t bucket-list vacations; these were brutal, death-defying, “this is physiologically impossible” goals. And he didn’t do it just for himself.
At every step, Sean carried the names of cancer patients on a flag close to his heart. Survivors, fighters, people who’d lost the battle but still mattered. He took their stories to the highest points on Earth. Hope was his fuel.
But here’s the twist no one talks about. When he finally hit those world-record achievements, when he planted the flag and helicopters whisked him back from the North Pole, Sean crashed into a deep, unexpected depression.
“I was so focused on the destination that when I got there, I felt lost. I realized I’d been chasing false summits.”
That phrase — false summits — hit me hard. Because it’s not just about mountains. It’s the entrepreneur who sells the company and feels empty. The athlete who retires and wonders who they are now. The parent whose kids leave home and suddenly has no roadmap. We’ve all climbed something we thought would define us — and then looked around asking, “Now what?”
Sean’s story is about what comes next.
The Shift From Chasing to Living
When Sean returned home after completing the Explorer’s Grand Slam, the depression surprised him. He’d visualized victory a thousand times — the crunch of snow on Everest, the freezing air of the North Pole — but he’d never pictured life after the win.
He realized his focus had been on achievement, not alignment. He was chasing records to prove something instead of seeking meaning. That’s when he started doing the deep work.
He went back to his cancer journey — to those nights when he didn’t know if he’d wake up — and remembered what truly gave him strength: mindset and purpose. From that reflection came The Big Hill Challenge, a program he first built for cancer survivors transitioning back to life but quickly saw was universal. Military veterans, entrepreneurs, parents in transition — anyone redefining themselves after a massive life event can use it.
“You’ll never find anything out here to fix what’s missing inside,” Sean told me. “Fulfillment is an inside job.”
Questions Worth Asking Yourself
On his guided climbs up Kilimanjaro (where his groups have a 99% success rate — double the average), Sean doesn’t just teach people how to breathe at altitude. He gives them questions that break open perspective. Questions like:
If no one ever knew I reached this goal, would it still matter to me?
Am I chasing this for external validation or internal fulfillment?
Where in my life have I underestimated how far I’ve already come?
What am I leaving behind on this journey that no longer serves me?
It’s powerful stuff — and not just for climbers. As entrepreneurs, professionals, parents, we’re told to keep going higher. But if you don’t know why you’re climbing, you risk standing on top of your mountain and feeling nothing but emptiness.
The Gift of Gratitude
Sean also gave me — and now you — a simple, practical challenge. For two weeks, each night before bed, write down five specific things you’re grateful for that day and one reason why. Not the generic “health and family.” Something real and personal: “I’m grateful for the text my friend sent checking on me because it reminded me I’m not alone.” It sounds small, but the science of neuroplasticity says it rewires your brain for hope and resilience.
I’ve started doing this myself. It’s harder than it sounds — but unbelievably grounding.
Why This Matters for All of Us
Sean’s journey reminds me that survival and success aren’t the same as fulfillment. You can overcome cancer and still feel lost. You can build a company, sell it, and wonder who you are. You can be the “unstoppable” one and still need to slow down and ask the hard questions.
If you’ve been pushing toward something — a number, a title, a finish line — pause for a second. Look at your own journey. Celebrate how far you’ve already come. Ask yourself if the summit you’re chasing is a true one or just another shiny false peak.
And if you feel like you’re between mountains — a little lost, a little unsure — know you’re not alone. There’s power in redefining success on your own terms.
Listen & Climb Higher With Us
On this episode of Be the Giraffe, Sean shares raw stories about survival, adventure, and rediscovering purpose. We talk about everything from battling fear to letting go of ego to rebuilding identity after life’s biggest fights and wins. It’s one of the most human, hope-filled conversations we’ve had yet.
🎧 Listen now and learn how to:
Turn trauma into fuel for growth and leadership
Redefine success so it actually fulfills you
Build resilience with practical mindset tools
Lead yourself — and others — from a place of deep purpose
👉 Listen to the full episode with Sean Swarner here
Because life isn’t just about getting to the top. It’s about loving the climb.
P.S. If this episode resonated with you, you’ll love my Be the Giraffe book.