Joe Marksteiner isn’t weighed down by his numerous titles.

Marksteiner is a husband, father, Air Force veteran, and champion weight lifter. But, he had to add ‘cancer patient’ to that list.

Last year, Joe was diagnosed with a small bowel neuroendocrine tumor. It was a rare disease he’ll likely contend with for the rest of his time.

Joe felt something was up with his body. After 40 years of competitive weight lifting, he got in tuned with how his body feels.

“I was getting to the point where I knew something was wrong,” Marksteiner said. “My body was trying to warn me.”

His tumors in his liver ranged in size from a quarter-sized one all the way up to a softball-sized one.

“They were upsetting the balance of hormones in the body,” Marksteiner said.

Marksteiner turned to the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer for help. His team of doctors used a combination of chemotherapy and embolization treatments.

Marksteiner said his doctors told him he couldn’t lift anything more than 5 pounds for six months. It was because Marksteiner had 3 feet of intestines and his gallbladder removed.

“A gallon of milk weighs about 8 pounds,” Marksteiner said. “I couldn’t pour a glass of milk for myself when the jug was full,” he added.

Once Marksteiner got the green light, he went back into the gym to work his way back. He took baby steps towards his goal of being a champion once again.

“Over the course of 6 months, I was able to go from not being able to life 5 pounds to be able to compete in a national championship,” he added.

He won the title for his age and weight class. He then joined the USA team for the world championships in Mongolia last month. Marksteiner once again came away with the gold.

He hopes his story helps other cancer patients know they can keep their hope held high.

“A diagnosis that looks bad is not the end of the world,” he said. “The folks who have been there throughout your life will be alongside you.”

Marksteiner continues to visit his doctors once a month. He will continue managing his cancer. He plans to compete in next summer’s world championships in June.