You Won't Believe How This Cancer Survivor Plans to Conquer the Fitness World!

Phillip Guison, a dedicated competitor in Colossal’s Mr. Health and Fitness competition, is on the brink of advancing to the semifinal round, but only if he secures enough votes to clinch first place in the quarterfinals. Currently sitting in fourth place, Guison is rallying support from his community to ensure he can move forward in the competition, which aims to raise funds and awareness for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting children fighting cancer.

“There are several phases to the competition,” Guison explained. “I won the group phase, which was comprised of weekly online votes. Now I am in the top one percent of the competitors in the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals end today, and I need to be in first place to advance.”

To vote for Guison, supporters can visit his Facebook page and follow the link provided. Voting is free once a day, with additional votes available for purchase, the proceeds of which directly benefit the B+ Foundation. “Christian County residents can help in the last part of this competition with daily votes online,” he encouraged.

Guison’s involvement in this competition carries personal significance; he is a cancer survivor himself. Diagnosed with stage 4a Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in early 2024, it took nearly eight months and multiple consultations before he received his diagnosis. His treatment journey included four months of weekly chemotherapy and almost two months of daily radiation.

While conventional medicine played a crucial role, Guison attributes much of his recovery to significant lifestyle changes. “Unfortunately, while some things showed improvement, all the imaging showed hardly any change in my diagnosis. Through a huge change in nutrition and lifestyle, I slowly started to see a change overall,” he shared.

Motivated by his recovery journey, Guison decided to pursue bodybuilding, setting a goal to enter competitions as a way to inspire others. “I entered my first bodybuilding competition in November of 2025. I lost a total of over 70 pounds and placed fourth in my division. I have been in remission for about a year now,” he noted with pride.

Guison sees the Mr. Health and Fitness competition not only as an opportunity for personal achievement but also as a platform to share his story broadly. “Winning this competition will, one, give me a chance to share my story with an even larger audience being published in Muscle & Fitness magazine. I hope it will help others who go through cancer understand that a life can be lived on the other side,” he said. “And two, winning this competition will show how a community can rally around something to make anything possible.”

His sentiments are echoed in the support he has received from his community throughout his cancer treatment and recovery. “I have had a lot of support in this competition from friends, family, and the community voting daily and sharing my story,” Guison reflected. He emphasized the outpouring of help he received during challenging times, stating that his community consistently provided meals for his family when he was unable to care for them. “It has been overwhelming support from everyone to get to where I am today. We all can help and make a little difference with everyone around us.”

With voting ending tonight at 7 p.m., Guison’s future in the competition hinges on community engagement. To show your support, visit this link to cast your vote for Guison. Together, the community can not only help him advance in the competition but also contribute to a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of children battling cancer.