From Blood Cancer To The Boston Marathon | Boyd Dunleavey

After two battles with acute myeloid leukemia—and facing a grim 5% survival rate—Boyd Dunleavy discovered that the financial foundation he'd quietly built for decades would determine whether his family weathered the crisis or crumbled under it. Boyd, a long-time ChooseFI listener and community member, is now a two-time blood cancer survivor and 10-time marathon finisher who shares how resilience, strategic financial planning, and community support shaped his path through life-threatening illness to remarkable recovery.

Boyd reflects on pivotal moments from his diagnosis through recovery, the role insurance and savings played during treatment, and the mental shift required to rebuild his life. He opens up about the power of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you when you can't believe in yourself, and how lessons learned from failure fuel long-term success. His experiences running marathons—including the Boston Marathon—post-recovery illustrate the discipline and goal-setting that apply equally to health and finances.

Chapter Markers

• Introduction to Boyd Dunleavy [00:00:00]
• Boyd's cancer journey [00:19:10]
• The importance of community support [00:25:00]
• Life and health lessons [00:28:40]
• Experiences of completing marathons [00:44:40]
• Conclusion and calls to action [01:12:00]

Key Quotes

• "Success is moving from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." [00:28:43]
• "What you put out into the world is what you attract." [00:34:26]
• "Save diligently when your income is high." [00:23:06]
• "Surround yourself with those who support you when you lack faith in yourself." [00:25:15]
• "Seek out a better path in life." [00:10:15]

Resources

• Be The Match - Register as a stem cell donor [00:32:13]
• American Red Cross - Donate blood and support cancer patients [00:32:37]
• Episode page: ChooseFI.com/394

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