Sean Wachter is a business guy, a husband, and a father of two young girls. He also happens to be a former two-sport collegiate athlete and a former pro football player, and after battling and surviving a rare form of melanoma, he is using wrestling – of all things – to raise awareness and raise funding for cancer research (all while finishing his MBA and working with several major cancer organizations).

Sean’s story challenges us all to live large, make the most of every moment, and maybe even do big, crazy sh*t to make a difference. His story is so inspiring that he’s our very first male Uplifter Ambassador! 🌟

What you’ll hear in this episode

1. How this video of Inky Johnson changed the course of Sean’s life
2. How a rare cancer saved Sean’s life and gave him his family and a powerful purpose
3. How Sean ended up in a wrestling ring at almost 40- winning titles and raising lots of money to fight cancer

Thanks to Janet Prete for nominating Sean. Follow Sean’s adventures inside and outside the ring on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Find lots more from The Uplifters Podcast on our Substack www.theuplifterspodcast.com

After you listen, grab your ticket 🎟️ for Uplifters Live on May 17, where you’ll meet Sean and 26 of the other Uplifters Ambassadors that you’ve met on our podcast! Learn all about this one-day in-person gathering for creative growth and collaboration HERE.

Welcome to the Uplifters podcast. I'm your host, Aransas Savas, and today I'm joined by Sean Wachter. He's a business development manager. He's a husband, a father of two young girls. He also happens to have a Rosie the Riveter tattoo on his arm. And he happens to be a former two sport collegiate athlete, a former pro football player. And after battling and surviving a rare form of melanoma,

I'm gonna go.

He finds himself using wrestling, of all things, to raise awareness and funding for cancer research, all while finishing his MBA and working with several major cancer organizations. And Sean's story is so special and so inspiring that he's the first guy that we featured on the Uplifters podcast. And I know there's a lot of uplifting men out there, but I think...

There are so many women's stories that we've had a packed calendar, but we were really excited to meet Sean via Janet Preet, who nominated him. So Sean, thanks for joining us.

Well, thank you for having me. And as a progressive person, I always enjoy getting to be the first and encouraging others to be the first in any other endeavor that they can be the first in. So it's truly an honor for you to be having me as your first male guest. Thank you.

Thanks for being here. And it's interesting that you say it that way because we do talk to a lot of trailblazing women and there are a lot of trails to blaze in this world. So Sean, speaking of trailblazing, it is rare to be a two-sport collegiate athlete.

most certainly.

I woof and I shake my head because I'll tell you, and I'm sure any listeners you may have that have children that are involved in even some high school athletics, but especially collegiate athletics, or even any listeners that you have that may be in collegiate athletics, once you get out of high school and you get into college, when you get in the door and you play a sport there, your academics take second seat. And when you go into a situation like myself playing both collegiate football and collegiate lacrosse, the academics takes a fourth seat with that.

third seat being filled by social engagements, we'll call it. So it was not necessarily the best thing. There are people that are far more mature than I was at that age that could handle that. But oh goodness, that led to me having to transfer schools.

And then you went on to be a pro football player. Who did you play for?

I played for the New York Dragons in the Arena Football League, and right after preseason, they very politely told me that I was not good enough. So they released me and my contract was picked up by the New Jersey Revolution, who I spent the 2008 season with. I was supposed to go up and play in the Canadian Football League directly after that season ended, but unfortunately I had a career ending.

shoulder injury and a pectoral tear that just kind of made me sit there and go, all right, we took this as far as we could,, what's the next adventure that life's going to bring to us?

Wow, and now wrestling.

I've been a fan of professional wrestling since I could probably crawl. And when my father has those reflective moments, he goes, what could I have done better? And I joke with him, I go, you shouldn't have sat me down in front of pro wrestling. it's always been my rock in the storm.

and I've always used it as kind of a place to get lost when life kind of gets a little funky. But when I was a senior in high school, I met a couple of guys at the local gym that were doing it and they thought I was much older and said, hey, why don't you come down and train with us? And I started to do it and I caught a little bit of a beating because many, many moons ago, things are predetermined. I hate to break it to anyone out there that didn't know that.

But we're still getting in there, we're still getting physical, and back then it was very old school. You know, they were what they called protective of the business of wrestling, where they just didn't wanna let anyone know off the street. You had to kinda earn your mustard, so to speak. And they gave me a little bit of a whooping, but after three months of going down there as an 18 year old man, my father, who thought I was going to church on Sunday mornings.

decided to follow me down to the local wrestling school and be known to me as he's a retired narcotics detective. So he's very good at following people and figuring out the truth, which was not fun growing up. But he said to me, what the heck are you doing? And he heard the noise from the ring coming from the little warehouse where we were training. He said, oh, no, no. You have football on the line, my friend. And a few of these schools are offering you money and you're basically trying to take my coupon away.

So no wrestling for you. So I actually revisited wrestling after I rehabbed my shoulder injury because I said, well, now at the age of 24, hopefully I won't get much guff from my folks. And I gave it a whirl for a little while. I even was fortunate enough to have a tryout with World Wrestling Entertainment. I had a few things I needed to brush up on according to them. And then they were gonna bring me down to

their developmental system in Florida, which was, oh, talk about a dream come true. And unfortunately, a few weeks later, I was involved in a really bad accident and I broke my neck and my back and I lost my ability to walk and that took a little while to regain that. And then three years into that, that's when we got hit with the cancer.

Mm. Ah.

Oh my gosh.

you spent so many years getting praised for your physical form and for your ability to fight and be strong and sort of this invincible character. So what was this diagnosis like for you?

Well, I think every step of the way. So I broke my neck and my back when I was 27. And I think that was a little bit humbling. I was diagnosed when I was 31, but in between 27 and 31, I was living a life, but it was not a fulfilling or rewarding one.

Yeah.

I wasn't doing anything off color or out of, you know, something that my parents wouldn't be too proud of or anything like that. But it just, it was listless. It just kind of was going through the motions and,, just doing my thing. at 31 when I got diagnosed with cancer,, I'm not that much of a spiritual person, but whatever is out there or whatever is up there, I think was trying to say to me, hey, you got to give a little bit more.

Mm.

And if you're not going to give a little bit more, well, you're not going to be around to give. And I got humbled. And when I got that diagnosis, it came after months of begging and pleading with doctors. And everything I was telling them was just being accredited to my accident and my neck and back injury and constantly advocating for myself.

Mm.

to the point that my local hospital almost put me on a psych hold because they thought this was all in my head. Well, not to... Well, what the heck? Let's make light of a situation. Pun intended, yes, it was all in my head because when I went back there the next time, they found a golf ball-sized tumor in my cerebellum that they refused to do a scan on. And now here I was laying there at 31 in front of my father having a massive stroke and brain bleed.

Wow.

Yep.

My god.

So it was just kind of like, let's see where we go from there. very fortunate to have my father, worked in a very, very rough area, a Vietnam vet. But, he has a way about him that, he's the one who broke the news to me that I had cancer because the hospital wanted to wait.

And he's done such a good job preparing me to handle the toughest times that life has had to offer. That when he told me it wasn't almost, you know, a shock. It was almost like a very stoic response from both of us. Like, okay, we have some work to do.

Hmm. Do you remember what he said to you?

. When I found out that I was possibly never gonna walk again as a result of my accident, I started to tear up a little bit, and my dad put his hand on my leg underneath the doctor's table and said, I need you to toughen the blank up right now. And I just kind of snapped to it, and when it came time for him to tell me,

I had cancer, this was a week after being in the hospital, being in and out of it, receiving transfusions,, you hear tumor, your brain automatically goes to cancer. So when he told me my mother was there, he was there and he very gingerly put his hand on my ankle, very opposite of how he was with the walking incident.

Mm-hmm.

I kind of just looked at him and I saw it in his eyes and he said, Sean, I don't know how to tell you this buddy, but you have cancer. I said, all right, dad, we got work to do. Just because I kind of, he knew what I needed, but I could see it in his eyes. I knew what he needed. And, you know, up until I started to date my wife and have my two daughters,

Hmm.

Hmm.

It's always been my mom, my dad, and me. That was it. It was just the three of us. And my dad's my best friend. So I just kind of tried to lean on him as he leaned on me,, and we got through it together and, that was pretty much,, the first couple of days of it. the next three weeks was spent with.

Oh goodness, you think that the hospital became a convention center. I had over 30 high school and college football teammates who banded together. Some of these guys never even speaking with each other than an email that they got put on when I got sick and they formulated a schedule of care and, companionship that.

Honestly, it just really made me...

Sorry, it's difficult when you don't realize how much of an impact you have on other people. it was probably the first day or two that I was in the step-down unit, and it's Monday night during the fall, and all of a sudden I hear this big banging at my hospital door, and I'm thinking, oh, goodness, what's going on now?

Mm-hmm.

And in comes four or five of my college teammates with a big cooler filled with beer and Jack Daniels and pizza pies. And I said, what are you guys doing here? And they said, it's Monday night. We watch Monday Night Football together every Monday. I said, yeah, but this is the hospital. And next thing you know, the nurse is coming in with cups of ice. And she said, you guys have a great time. So that was.

Thank you.

That was pretty special. And that was kind of like one of the first earmarks where I was like, no, you can't be satisfied with whatever they tell you. You need to get up on your horse, kid, and you need to fight this thing.

Hmm.

And what did that look like for you, Sean?

when I left the hospital, I was in my parents' house and I had never lived in that house. So it wasn't the one I grew up in. I was sleeping in a guest room in a small little twin bed. And I guess that's when the sorry started to kick in,, feeling bad, feeling sorry for myself. And I remember going on YouTube and I just said, what can I do? I just typed in motivation. And

Mm-hmm.

Brilliant speaker came up brilliant the gentleman's name is Enki Johnson. Are you familiar with him at all? Enki Johnson is a former University of Tennessee a division one football cornerback

I'm not, no.

Um, he was projected to be a first round draft pick,, just like any movie or book, you know, grew up poor in the South, nine brothers and sisters, single mom living in that house. And his NFL career was going to get everyone out of there and he was going to do it and freak acts in a routine tackle, tore every nerve and artery in his shoulder apart and, uh, he was told,

Mm.

you'll never play football again. You'll never have use of this arm again. And you may not live. And unfortunately, two of the three things came true. I wasn't able to use that arm. And he most certainly wasn't able to play football. But as he laid there and thought about maybe calling it a day or just giving his will up and just saying, whatever happens, I'm done, he realized that he still had

all those people that counted on him and loved him. And much like those 30 maniacs that kept showing up in my hospital, and my other friends, and family members, and my mom and my dad, I realized this isn't about Sean. This isn't about me at all. And that was the video I listened to was, he calls it, It's Not About You. And when you realize that, you kind of realize that

Hmm.

You're not in this little bubble. it's part of a bigger picture. And cancer takes a community. And that's so important I feel for people to have their own community around them, however that may look, whether it be your local church group, fraternal organization.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

friends, family, it's just having a support system is so important in that battle because I could sit here and claim to be the strongest son of a gun there is but at the end of the day I had a whole army behind me and that's what helped make it a little bit easier.

Hmm.

And now it sounds as though you've made it your mission to build an army for others who are experiencing rare cancers.

having this rare form of cancer and then being told you only have 12 weeks to live and you need to get your affairs in order. And now I'm going on seven and a half years of life and I am the only documented case of my cancer DNA certified that it's like I never even had the cancer to begin with. So

Wow.

I realize, with all the wonderful opportunities I had, look, while I was sick, I started to date my wife. You know, we eventually went to get married. I helped raise my stepdaughter since she was 14 months old. She's going to be eight soon. about a month ago, had a daughter of my own. While I was sick, I started the largest independent coffee company on Long Island at the time. So I like to show people there's life during and after cancer.

to touch on what you said, I am trying to use a very interesting platform at the almost age of 40, I'm going to be 39 in December, to show people, as I said, there's life during and after cancer. But more importantly,, if I can inspire one person with what I do to either live a little fuller or fight a little bit harder.

I'd go down the same cancer road a thousand times over. I would do it just like Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day. I'd take my worst day of cancer and I'd relive it every single day because that's all I wanna do because to not live a life of service and not to live the fullest I could after having all that support, it would be spitting in the face of anyone that ever believed in me.

That takes responsibility and purpose to a whole new level, Sean.

Well, I do feel that I have a great responsibility because,, in so many other areas or avenues of life to say, oh, I'm the only person to do something ever like, yeah, that's something normally people puff their chest about, but I don't want to puff my chest. I don't want to be one of one. I want to be one of a million or a billion or none of none because...

Mm-hmm.

Quite frankly, when I was given the all clear sign, those same yahoos that packed me up and helped me along the way said, hey buddy, you gotta have a wild party. And I said, no, I'm not gonna do a party. And they said, why, you should celebrate. And I said, why? Why celebrate? I got brothers and sisters, excuse me, that are still stuck in this. And I don't deserve this. You know, it's just like when I was

at Sloan Kettering and I saw kids as old as two or three getting radiation and I said, I don't need the prayers, I don't need the sorries. I've made every mistake a 31 year old man can make. Those kids even haven't had a chance to steal a cookie yet. So no, don't feel bad for me. So what I did to meet my friends halfway was, I said, I'll have a fundraiser. And we threw this fundraiser for Sloan Kettering kids and.

Hmm.

Obviously you need to be able to offer something to someone as a form of entertainment or an incentive I'm not much of a golfer when I broke my neck and couldn't play golf anymore My father said I did the world of golf a favor. So we weren't gonna have a golf outing and I can't sing or dance So we weren't gonna have a band So all my buddies said well, why don't we get the local wrestling group to come down and said, okay fine And then all of a sudden some genius out of the group got the idea. Well

What if you got back in there? And I said, no one wants to see that. I haven't been in a wrestling ring at that point in 11 or 12 years, but again, one of my darling friends took it upon themselves to put a poll on Facebook and say, if Shawn wrestles, will you come and would you give more money? And it was like a resounding 97 percent, yes. So, I-

the one person who said no was

probably my mom and my wife and my dad, But I ended up finding a guy out of this group who had wrestled for over 15 years and we were very careful, we were very protective and he held my hand through this whole match and we got through it and we ran up raising about $5,000 for Sloan Kettering Kids, which was great. And then the following year,

but the rest we're all in.

Everyone got on my butt again and I tried to say, hey look, it's one and done, one and done. And then my beautiful, bestest friend in the whole world, my stepdaughter said to me, daddy, I didn't get to see you wrestle last year. So I said, like any good husband would do, need to go ask mommy. And mommy came back with some expletives towards me and when she realized that I actually didn't task her.

with this and that the other people were kind of asking too. She said, all right, one more match. Well, it's turned into about 10 now, but we put on this awesome event. we did it for St. Jude's this time at a request and we were able to raise about $7,000, but.

God.

What was unique about it this time was all the local media showed up. And now the local media is there. You wind up getting the local politicians. So everyone wants their photo taken. Here's the key to Nashville County. Here is this. Here is that. Not what I was doing it for, but the local Long Island newspaper, did a lovely.

Hmm.

Yeah.

two-page article on me with this incredible cover photo that my wife would like to shoot me for because there I am an exceptionally good shape no shirt on with this belt over my head and We thought that was it. We're like, okay. Well, that's nice and I want to putting it on LinkedIn and all of a sudden ESPN came in and said, hey, can we talk? So we've had some conversations and I've come to an agreement with the V Foundation and you know.

Mm-hmm.

I'm working with the Melanoma Research Alliance right now as well, and Sloan Kettering.. And to top it off, because of all this great work that's going on, we were able to put on a benefit to coincide with the-

largest independent wrestling show in Long Island history that was attended by over 2,000 people and the numbskull you're talking to happened to be in the main event and Trios championship title here.

Oh my goodness.

So that was pretty cool to get to do that. And I actually got to win that with a former WWE Tag Team Champion who had previously been partners and wrestled with Ric Flair and Roddy Piper. So it's kind of like, wow.

Even I know who Roddy Piper is.

things right now are amazing, but I want to make sure that people realize I'm not doing this to raise the awareness of Sean Wachter.

I'm doing this to raise the awareness of how important it is to help fund clinical research and clinical trials. I know right now we are in a really tough spot in this country financially. I know everybody is hurting. But I'll tell you, helping fund clinical research.

right.

is what kept people like myself alive. Because as I've started to work with the V Foundation a little bit more, I found out that my head oncologist, when she was presented with the rare cancer that I had gotten, she used her grant money from the V Foundation to actually formulate the treatment plan for me that clearly was successful. So.

it is so striking to hear that the cancer was born in you at a time where you lacked purpose.

Oh, it truly was. And I tell people this and they'll look at me with like, I have nine heads, but cancer was the most beautiful thing to ever happen to me. It cleansed me. It made me whole and made me look at this world in a way that I could have never looked at it before. And,, when I asked my wife, why me? Because she had a front row seat to it, because I kept a live journal.

on Facebook because it was almost a very cathartic exercise, but at the same time, my poor mother was having to deal with all of, how is he doing, what's going on? So I said, you know what, let me group everybody in. And my wife, who I knew since I was a little boy, witnessed on Facebook everything I was going through. And I said to her, why me? why did you bless me with getting to help you raise your daughter who.

Hmm.

Frankly, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even want to have a child of my own. And as far as I'm concerned, I'm not a delusional man, but she's my child too. And I asked her why me? And she was leaving a pretty rough situation, But she said, you inspired me. I believed in you, and it was nice to see that there was good in the world. And I owe her and her daughter my life.

Mm-hmm.

They kept me going.

you talk so much about the power and the transformation of support. And whether it is your parents or your friends or your doctors or your wife and daughters.

Oh.

And it is this showing up for one another and sharing our stories honestly that gives us the strength to overcome and to find purpose. And I'm just so glad you are here because while your story is unique to you, everyone out there listening has their own challenges and everyone out there has their own hunger for purpose and impact.

because that is as fundamental to us as human beings as our need for oxygen. this may sound strange from the guy who, when he doesn't have his glasses on or his shirts off, you know, I'm covered in tattoos. I'm not the softest looking guy, But I just, if I had one request for everyone out there, honestly, it would just be to practice a little bit more kindness. I know right now, like I said.

Everyone's in their own way struggling or hurting right now, but I think we just need to be just a little bit better to one another, regardless of color, belief, political, whatever it is. You know what? We're all on the same rock floating around the sun. That's what it all boils down to. No one's better than anybody else. My struggle has not been harder than anybody else. I'm no better than anybody else.

I think everyone has it within them just to do a little bit better. And if we just hold it a little bit better, I think we'd find that this place will be better off for it.

And just like Inky's words helped you find that within yourself, your words, no doubt, will help others find that within themselves.

I can only hope and if they do, like I said, I've served my purpose.

Thank you, Sean. Uplifters, thank you for listening.

Thank you so much for having me. It's been an absolute pleasure.

Uplifters, I'll see you over at theuplifterspodcast.com where you'll hear more from uplifters like Sean, as well as lots of tips, resources, and ideas to help us all keep rising higher together.