Send us a text

Terry Tucker is a motivational speaker, former college athlete, basketball coach, cancer warrior, and author of Sustainable Excellence. Diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of melanoma at the age of 51, Terry has endured over 13 years of treatment and continues to fight stage IV cancer. His message is rooted in the belief that adversity can be used as fuel for purpose, and that emotional honesty is part of true strength.

Segment Summary:
In this deeply personal and emotionally grounded conversation, Terry and host Kali explore the emotional side of living with a terminal illness—negotiating with grief, depression, and fear while still choosing to show up for others. Terry shares how, in the early days of his diagnosis, he bargained with God just to see his daughter graduate high school—and how that kind of personal mission gave him something powerful to fight for.

As he continues treatment to this day, Terry reveals the surprising way he overcomes moments of sadness and self-pity: by turning his attention outward, offering connection and comfort to others who are just beginning their own battles with cancer. He also shares a memorable social psychology experiment that proves just how deeply we can connect with someone through three meaningful questions—and why we don’t go deep enough with each other anymore.

Key Topics:

• Emotional bargaining and grief after receiving a terminal diagnosis
• Why setting a personal purpose can change your fight for survival
• The therapeutic power of helping others in the same struggle
• Using conversation and curiosity to connect beyond surface-level talk
• How small moments of kindness can pull you out of isolation
• The importance of vulnerability and emotional support during cancer treatment

Guest Contact & Resources:
Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life
MotivationalCheck.com
Follow Terry on Instagram: @sustainableexcellenceauthor

Find out more about Kali and the show HERE: https://humanityoffame.com/