The Comeback
At 49 I decided to return to the flying I loved but had set aside for nearly two decades.
Just weeks before flight training began, I was diagnosed with stage-three colon cancer. I wasn’t even sure I would pass a flight physical.
After surgery and recovery, I got back to work. While much of the world slowed during the pandemic, I continued training, earned the required ratings and, at 52, began my first job as a commercial pilot. The experience reinforced a key principle of leadership: pressure is a privilege, and champions adjust.