Platt Larry - Every Day I Fight

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Copyright 2015 by Stuart Scott

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Scott, Stuart, 19652015.

Every day I fight / Stuart Scott, Larry Platt.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-698-19100-6

1. Scott, Stuart, 19652015. 2. SportscastersUnited StatesBiography. 3. CancerPatientsUnited StatesBiography. I. Platt, Larry. II. Title.

GV742.42.S35A3 2015 2015002612

070.4'49796092dc23

[B]

About the front jacket photograph: Stuart Scott sat for Dear World, a portrait project founded by Robert X. Fogarty. In his distinct message-on-skin style, Fogarty asks each subject to share a message about something or to someone they love.

Penguin is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In that spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers; however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the authors alone.

Version_1

For Taelor and Sydni

Y es, Stuart Scott was as cool as the other side of the pillow. But he was so much more than the hippest sports journalist ever. It wasnt just his unique catchphrases that set him apart. Stu was also one of the most authentic people I have ever been blessed to know. Simply put, he was the real deal on and off camera. We met in 1993. I had been at ESPN for a few years by then, and Stu was hired to be an anchor for the launch of ESPN2. Our cool factor went off the charts with Stu roaming the halls and performing Rappers Delight on karaoke nights. He brought a spirit and a style that had never been seen, never been felt before, at ESPN.

Stu and I hit it off right away and discovered we had a lot in common. We both were from the South, were college hoops fanatics, and were the youngest of four children in our families. It was apparent that Stu came from a good, loving, and supportive family. Soon he started a family of his own. Taelor and Sydni were his world. Oh, how he loved being their dad. He proudly showed us their pictures as they grew into beautiful, talented young women. Hed whip out his phone and show us the latest video of them performing. Taelor playing the guitar, Sydni singing. Nothing, and I mean nothing, made Stu happier or brought him more pure joy.

Later Stu and I shared something else in common. Cancer. But that never was the focus of our conversations. We didnt feel the need to talk about it. Theres an unspoken language and understanding between those facing cancer. You focus on the fight, not the fright. Every day he fought for his girls... before and after he became ill. Ill never forget when his cancer returned for a third time. I went with him to the gym to watch him train. He had taken up martial arts and cross-training workouts. In the midst of grueling chemotherapy treatments, it was his way to treat his body as well as his spirit. The punches and kicks he threw were physical as well as symbolic. It was Stus way of continuing to battle, to literally kick cancers you-know-what! After the workout, he began bragging about Taelor and Sydni. Then he told me: I want to be here because I dont want some other dude walking my daughters down the aisle at their weddings. Those girls gave Stu purpose in his life and his fight.

Though the outcome was not what we wanted, not what we prayed for, Stus fight was every bit as valiant and meaningful. Like many, I remain in awe of how he stared cancer smack-dab in the face. Sitting in the audience at the ESPYs, I marveled at how he found the strength to get out of his hospital bed and take that stage. It was incredibly fitting that he received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Jim Valvano and Stuart Scott were cut from the same cloth. Two dynamic men who embraced life and changed lives. That night at the ESPYs, Stu must have been the bus driver, cuz he was takin us to school. He delivered an invaluable lesson for the ages: When you die, it 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. His words were as raw, honest, and powerful as the man himself.

Stus unshakable courage was inspirational. Cancer never defined him; its not his lifes story but rather a chapter in his lifes story. Youll see in these beautifully written pages that he set a stellar example for all of us in so many aspects of life. Stu said when youre too tired to fight, rest and let someone else fight for you. My dear friend, you can rest now, and we will continue to fight for you.

R OBIN R OBERTS