The News Minute| January 5, 2015| 7.00 pm IST
Stuart Scott was a beloved ESPN anchor, armed with charming catchphrases and a signature style. But on Sunday, he lost a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 49.
But the brave way in which he stood up and fought against the dreaded disease was inspiring enough for people to look back and revisit his motivational speech from the 2014 ESPY awards.
Accepting the Jimmy V Award( also called the Jim Valvano Award for Perserverance), Staurt spoke about his 7 year old battle with the disease in such a way, so as to offer a raw and honest reflection of what’s it like to live with cancer. He deservedly got a thunderous applause and the speech video was shared on for weeks after the event, probably because he managed to connect with people in a larger way.
"When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live," he said. "So live. Live. Fight like hell. And when you get too tired to fight, lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you."
Post his death, the speech has gone viral. Even in his absence, Stuart’s honesty can find resonance with people fighting battles against cancer, for themselves or a loved one. And powerful words never die.
Watch his speech here: