I'm a bodybuilder but bowel cancer in my 30s nearly killed me

Mat Dean, a bodybuilder from Bridgend, Wales, was the picture of health in 2022. At 39, he was training hard for a bodybuilding competition, showing off his toned muscles and feeling on top of the world. But behind his strong appearance, Mat was fighting a hidden enemy: a cancerous tumour in his bowel that he didn’t even know was there. Mat’s story is a powerful reminder that serious illnesses can affect anyone, no matter how healthy they look on the outside.

Mat’s health problems began the year before his diagnosis. He started having severe stomach pain from time to time and noticed blood when he went to the toilet. Concerned, he visited his GP, who thought the symptoms were probably caused by a small tear from lifting heavy weights. The doctor sent him home, and Mat tried to carry on with his life. But the symptoms didn’t go away. The following year, while on an all-inclusive holiday, Mat lost a stone in weight without trying. This sudden weight loss made him worry, so he decided to get checked again. He read about different bowel conditions, like Crohn’s disease and IBS, but cancer seemed unlikely to him at just 39 years old. However, a scan revealed the shocking truth: Mat had a large tumour in his bowel, and the cancer had already spread to his liver.

The diagnosis was devastating. Mat had to undergo major surgery, and when doctors discovered the cancer had also spread to his bladder, he needed even more operations. He ended up with two stoma bags, one for his bowel and one for his bladder. Mat described the experience as incredibly painful and overwhelming, with tubes and machines keeping him alive in the hospital. He needed help just to walk after his surgery. Telling his partner Holly about the diagnosis was one of the hardest moments of his life. Holly, who was at home with their five-month-old daughter Willow, felt a mix of denial, anger, and sadness. The birth of Willow, however, gave Mat a reason to stay positive and fight for his life. He didn’t want his daughter to grow up without a father.

Over time, Mat learned to accept his new body, even though it was difficult at first. He used to be proud of his physique and loved taking his shirt off in the garden. Now, with a stoma bag, he felt self-conscious, especially when people stared at him by the pool on holiday. But Mat realized that the bag was a part of him and that he had to learn to live with it. After more surgeries, Mat is now cancer-free and looking forward to the future. He has proposed to Holly, and they are planning to get married in 2027. Mat is using his experience to raise awareness about bowel cancer, especially among younger people. He believes the screening age should be lowered so that more people can catch the disease early and avoid what he went through. In Wales, people over 50 automatically receive a bowel cancer screening test, but Mat’s case shows that cancer can strike at any age. Doctors have noticed that more young people are being diagnosed with bowel cancer, and they urge anyone with symptoms like changes in bowel habits, blood in their stool, unexplained tiredness, stomach pain, or weight loss to see a doctor. Mat hopes his story will encourage others to take their health seriously and get checked if they notice anything unusual.