A psychologist's opening statement in an appointment changed a cancer survivor’s outlook in 2012.

The statement? “Welcome to the beginning of your life.” In 2012, Martin Gillespie (now a holistic wellness coach), of Wahroonga, was working in a cyber security senior sales leadership role on little sleep.

At work his shoulders were slouching all the time.

His passion for long-distance running was not enthusiastic as it previously was.

In the middle of a marriage breakdown and feeling depressed, he went to the hospital for a CAT scan with concerns about the golf ball-sized lump in his neck.

His haematologist gave him the truth frankly.

Gillespie had stage 4A follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, an incurable cancer generally treated with chemotherapy.

Other tumours were around his vital organs, groin and in his bone marrow.

Gillespie sobbed upon hearing the news, not the first challenge in his adulthood “When I was told I had stage 4, I just burst into tears because I had been through a marriage breakdown, my sister had passed and my dad died, all of this trauma was still with me,” he said.

In 2010, his mother died due to heart disease in Scotland.

“I didn’t get counselling for that because dealing with grief is a difficult emotion, I thought if I threw myself into my work and stayed active, I could overcome anything,” Gillespie said.

In 2012, his younger sister Denise lost her life to breast cancer when she was 37.

Six weeks later, his father bled to death when a pair of secateurs pierced his heart upon hitting the ground after he fell off a backyard wall while gardening.

What the psychologist said to him gave him an idea: “I was determined to go five years cancer-free,” Gillespie said.

During chemotherapy he began reading research on nutrition and exercise during the night hours when he was not taking drugs and finishing work, going further by completing a diploma from Australian College of Nutrition and Environmental Medicine.

“I got rid of plastics, making my own vegetable juice, minimised my radiation exposure by throwing out the microwave and I got plant-based laundry detergents,” Gillespie said.

He completed a Mental Health First Aid Certificate from St John’s and found himself mentoring other men with cancer.

“Women are more in tune with their physical bodies, guys aren’t.

They’re often comfortable with having beer bellies.

When was the last time one of us went to the doctor when we’re really ill?” he said.

In remission since February 2015, Gillespie now focuses his professional time on educating people (men in particular) on preventative fitness.

“I want to share my knowledge about nutritional medicine with others, show taking care of your health… doesn’t just start and stop with a visit to the doctor,” he said.

He facilitates a men’s circle on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon at Wahroonga Scout Hall.

The circle is a “platform for men to open up and discuss emotions,” he said.

For more information, email martinegillespie70@gmail.com or call 0413 652 170