J. Victor Clevenger

In January 2023J, Victor Clevenger -- Vic to friends -- was diagnosed with male breast cancer. Instead of celebrating Valentine’s Day with flowers and a romantic dinner for his fiancée, he was heading to the hospital for a double mastectomy.

Clevenger’s recovery was not easy. He struggled with depression, despair and a sense of being lost and unfocused, feeling truly defeated and deflated.

During that difficult period, Clevenger realized two important truths he wants other men to know: men can develop breast cancer, and it is not solely a woman’s disease. He also learned that life continues after cancer and that purpose can be rediscovered.

Facing adversity revealed Clevenger’s path and pushed him toward his calling: speaking and writing. Rediscovering his purpose transformed his life from drifting without direction to soaring confidently and living his best life.

Clevenger says cancer taught him three important lessons: perseverance — life’s journey is filled with obstacles, but to live fully one must work to overcome them; endurance — achieving goals does not happen overnight and it takes time and patience; and purpose — finding and rediscovering purpose enables a person to rise above challenges.

His mission is to help other cancer survivors, especially men, realize there is much more life yet to live. When Clevenger speaks, audiences hear genuine stories drawn from real experience rather than theory. He has faced challenges such as loss and cancer and emerged stronger and more resilient, and he shares practical insights so others can overcome their own hurdles.

Attendees leave inspired and uplifted, discovering practical ways to tackle life’s challenges, strategies to transform their lives by leveraging unique strengths and abilities, and a renewed sense that they have meaningful purpose and that now is the time to live it fully.