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My Journey
'If you let go of fear you can do anything - you can chase the things you really want to do and live the life you were born to live.'
Jim Stynes never took the easy road, on or off the field. He loved a challenge. He pushed himself, and worked hard to help others realise their potential.
In June 2009, Jim was diagnosed with cancer and given nine months to live. The diagnosis caught him by surprise - he was 43, healthy and fit - and he didn't have time for illness. He was a busy father, husband, brother, mentor, businessman and president of Melbourne Football Club.
Knowing his odds weren't good, Jim gave his all to trying to beat the disease. He embraced life, and made his journey public. His ability to use mind over matter, to never give in, to overcome pain, to believe in himself and his will to succeed gave him two extra years on the prognosis. He defied expectations time and time again.
Unflinching in its honesty, this is an extraordinary insight into a man who lived fearlessly, with a vision for how to achieve the best life possible. Jim Stynes' legacy is an inspiring story about getting the most out of every single day, whatever you do.
Jim Stynes never took the easy road, on or off the field. He loved a challenge. He pushed himself, and worked hard to help others realise their potential.
In June 2009, Jim was diagnosed with cancer and given nine months to live. The diagnosis caught him by surprise - he was 43, healthy and fit - and he didn't have time for illness. He was a busy father, husband, brother, mentor, businessman and president of Melbourne Football Club.
Knowing his odds weren't good, Jim gave his all to trying to beat the disease. He embraced life, and made his journey public. His ability to use mind over matter, to never give in, to overcome pain, to believe in himself and his will to succeed gave him two extra years on the prognosis. He defied expectations time and time again.
Unflinching in its honesty, this is an extraordinary insight into a man who lived fearlessly, with a vision for how to achieve the best life possible. Jim Stynes' legacy is an inspiring story about getting the most out of every single day, whatever you do.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2012
28 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 21, 2012
There's no getting past the fact that this isn't an easy book to read. What also makes it hard for me is that Jim Stynes was diagnosed with cancer around the same time as my father. Both were given a year and Stynes lasted over two. My dad was gone within three months.
So Stynes' cancer journey is entwined with one my family had to take. I remember being pissed off when I heard all the radical treatments Stynes could afford to chase and how his fame could get him experimental drugs not given to others. Yet I also knew that had our positions been reversed I would have done the exact same thing. It is hellish to watch a loved one waste away before you.
Ultimately this is a sad story about our own frail mortality.
So Stynes' cancer journey is entwined with one my family had to take. I remember being pissed off when I heard all the radical treatments Stynes could afford to chase and how his fame could get him experimental drugs not given to others. Yet I also knew that had our positions been reversed I would have done the exact same thing. It is hellish to watch a loved one waste away before you.
Ultimately this is a sad story about our own frail mortality.
September 4, 2017
Honest, candid and one of the most inspiring books. It really is a tear jerker, but one that leaves a mark on your memory. Highly recommend!
September 25, 2023
I loved hearing Jim Stynes story and how hard he tried to beat cancer.
Truly a great man!
Heart-wrenchingly sad.
Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by ABC audio
Narrated by Stanley McGeagh
Duration: 9 hrs, 24 min. 1.25x Speed
Truly a great man!
Heart-wrenchingly sad.
Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by ABC audio
Narrated by Stanley McGeagh
Duration: 9 hrs, 24 min. 1.25x Speed
March 2, 2013
Although I do not follow AFL, I was interested to read this book about legendary player Jim Stynes. Diagnosed with melanoma in his early 40s, he fought against cancer for several years before finally succumbing last year, leaving behind his wife and young children.
It was interesting to read Jim's journey from an average upbringing in the Dublin suburbs, to the big time First Grade in the Australian AFL competition. As is often the case there was some luck as well as raw talent involved in him being chosen for a pilot program that recruited Irish Gaelic Football players. Although difficult for him to leave his large family and big circle of friends, he couldn't deny that the opportunity was too good to pass up.
As is often the case with cancerous growths Jim initially ignored the warning signs and the disease was well advanced before he was diagnosed. Once he knew what he was dealing with though, Jim put all his energy and purpose into fighting the cancer and he did have some small victories along the way - buying himself extra precious time with his family.
Jim acknowledges that he wasn't always a good husband and father, pursuing his own interests at the cost of family time. Through cancer he learned to slow down and appreciate them more.
Ultimately this is a sad story as Jim did die in the end, but it is also a positive and uplifting autobiography that will inspire many people.
It was interesting to read Jim's journey from an average upbringing in the Dublin suburbs, to the big time First Grade in the Australian AFL competition. As is often the case there was some luck as well as raw talent involved in him being chosen for a pilot program that recruited Irish Gaelic Football players. Although difficult for him to leave his large family and big circle of friends, he couldn't deny that the opportunity was too good to pass up.
As is often the case with cancerous growths Jim initially ignored the warning signs and the disease was well advanced before he was diagnosed. Once he knew what he was dealing with though, Jim put all his energy and purpose into fighting the cancer and he did have some small victories along the way - buying himself extra precious time with his family.
Jim acknowledges that he wasn't always a good husband and father, pursuing his own interests at the cost of family time. Through cancer he learned to slow down and appreciate them more.
Ultimately this is a sad story as Jim did die in the end, but it is also a positive and uplifting autobiography that will inspire many people.
October 3, 2012
Its hard to rate a book written when its author contracts cancer and the battle unfolds. Its a rare person that can look inwards at such a time and say that cancer made me a better person.
I loved the references to his early life in Ireland and the big punt so to speak of Ron Barassi to bring the star to Aust to play local footy.
Jim became a champion but almost got lost along the way.
I enjoyed his insights into his failings and wanted so much for one of his treatments to have a more lasting outcome.
It was easy to read with lovely photos.
I bawled my eyes out over the last couple of chapters.
I am glad I read it and glad it was written as a lasting legacy to a great man.
I loved the references to his early life in Ireland and the big punt so to speak of Ron Barassi to bring the star to Aust to play local footy.
Jim became a champion but almost got lost along the way.
I enjoyed his insights into his failings and wanted so much for one of his treatments to have a more lasting outcome.
It was easy to read with lovely photos.
I bawled my eyes out over the last couple of chapters.
I am glad I read it and glad it was written as a lasting legacy to a great man.
October 7, 2012
If only all football personalities were as inspiring as this man. I agree with others that this book was hard to read knowing the outcome but Jim shared his journey honestly and with digntiy. Unlike other football bios, this book has something real to offer and certainly goes well beyome "me, me, me". Well worth the effort.
November 11, 2012
Grab a box of tissues....you will need them! Very honest and inspiring book. Read it in 2 days...cried, laughed and took a lot away from this about life!
May 24, 2025
Jim Stynes’ story still resonates with many Australians still, even though it is now over 13 years since his passing. As others have mentioned, his battle is revealed in this memorable book in rather honest and, at times, raw detail.
If we back up a little, it’s important to look at the professional achievements of Jim Stynes. Famously as a remarkable Australian rules football player born and raised in Ireland, he was the first and only foreign born player to win the Brownlow Medal, the AFL’s highest honour. His record of 244 consecutive games was only just recently broken after standing for some 27 years. Jim Stynes’ REACH foundation has provided a pretty remarkable impact on many youth, and his leadership of the Melbourne Football Club brought the club out of a thirty year capital debt malaise. He was also an Order of Australia recipient, so, yes, an amazing achiever.
The primary focus of the book is his fight with cancer from its diagnosis in June ‘09 until his untimely death on March ‘12 at age just 45. All of the ups and downs of his physical and mental battle with the dreaded disease are on display within the book’s pages. Whether it’s ghost-written or not, it is a confronting read of a man battling and feeling moments of desperation, anguish and regret.
Within his family life, it wasn’t always warm and fuzzy because, well, neither was Jim Stynes apparently. Between the lines, and in the afterward written by his wife Sam, we learn that their relationship was tumultuous and often strained. I’m not sure that the marriage was what either of them thought it would be, so they had their struggles and even a short separation during his illness.
To that point, I think that Stynes, a very driven man, was carrying regret for not spending more time with his wife and kids instead of devoting time to a rather consuming post-football day-to-day work schedule. I felt for Jim Stynes and his battle, and I felt for his wife, an incredible woman, and their two kids many, many times within this read. In his words, we feel the imbalance that their lives had pre-diagnosis, and the journey that their lives took in his final years.
This is a difficult and rewarding read which I highly recommend. It’s honest, reflective and moving.
If we back up a little, it’s important to look at the professional achievements of Jim Stynes. Famously as a remarkable Australian rules football player born and raised in Ireland, he was the first and only foreign born player to win the Brownlow Medal, the AFL’s highest honour. His record of 244 consecutive games was only just recently broken after standing for some 27 years. Jim Stynes’ REACH foundation has provided a pretty remarkable impact on many youth, and his leadership of the Melbourne Football Club brought the club out of a thirty year capital debt malaise. He was also an Order of Australia recipient, so, yes, an amazing achiever.
The primary focus of the book is his fight with cancer from its diagnosis in June ‘09 until his untimely death on March ‘12 at age just 45. All of the ups and downs of his physical and mental battle with the dreaded disease are on display within the book’s pages. Whether it’s ghost-written or not, it is a confronting read of a man battling and feeling moments of desperation, anguish and regret.
Within his family life, it wasn’t always warm and fuzzy because, well, neither was Jim Stynes apparently. Between the lines, and in the afterward written by his wife Sam, we learn that their relationship was tumultuous and often strained. I’m not sure that the marriage was what either of them thought it would be, so they had their struggles and even a short separation during his illness.
To that point, I think that Stynes, a very driven man, was carrying regret for not spending more time with his wife and kids instead of devoting time to a rather consuming post-football day-to-day work schedule. I felt for Jim Stynes and his battle, and I felt for his wife, an incredible woman, and their two kids many, many times within this read. In his words, we feel the imbalance that their lives had pre-diagnosis, and the journey that their lives took in his final years.
This is a difficult and rewarding read which I highly recommend. It’s honest, reflective and moving.
June 27, 2020
Genuinely one of the saddest books I’ve read. I remember Jimmy’s battle with cancer very well and to read what was happening outside the public spotlight was very raw. I could only imagine what it was like being on the inside. Strangely enough, I felt he was let down by a lot of people when he needed support. Highly recommended but incredibly heartbreaking.
March 25, 2017
As a cancer survivor, I could really relate to this book. Jim Stynes, an AFL footballer and then President of the Melbourne Football Club, lived life to the full and tackled his cancer head on. People will relate to the pressures this put on his family, the endless cycle of medical appointments, treatments and the rollercoaster of potential cures. The audiobook reader was totally mismatched for this story, but Jim's honesty and courage still shine through.
January 23, 2023
I'm so glad I read this book. We all get told to stay out of the sun, and if you find a lump or something unusual on your body, then get it checked out. Jim Stynes as such a fighter and an amazing man. This is a very good book about a man that was taken far to early. 5/5 Star Rating.
November 7, 2017
Great
Loved the book. A real interesting read. I'm also a proud Irish man .. love to read more books like this
Loved the book. A real interesting read. I'm also a proud Irish man .. love to read more books like this
January 6, 2024
Great subject, but too much of the book focuses on his battle with cancer, not enough about his achievements and his experience in picking up AFL.
February 26, 2025
Listened on BorrowBox. Enjoyed the fact it focussed on life outside football including his Reach work which I was lucky enough to experience as a teenager.
March 13, 2025
I had been meaning to read this book for a long time having seen the wonderful documentary many years ago. Profound and simple at all times, a great read and hugely touching.
May 6, 2016
I was sent a copy of this to read and comment on for a cancer organisation so I read it with an eye to how 'useful' it might be to somebody going through cancer treatment or the friends and family of such a person. My perspective is therefore quite different to that of someone who may have been a fan of Jim Stynes in his professional sporting career or in his role with the REACH charity. To be totally open, I had absolutely no idea who Stynes was before reading this.
Jim Stynes was diagnosed with cancer - probably Melanoma but this stuff was rampaging around his body with ferocity and it didn't seem to be 100% clear where it started - in 2009. He was a retired Aussie Rules footballer (not a sport that many outside Aus know anything about), ran a charity for young people and was a senior official in the Melbourne football club for which he'd played for many years. He had a wife, Sam, and two young children and he seemed like the last person who'd get cancer. The book follows his 'Journey' through about 3 years of treatment - conventional, experimental, complementary, alternative and - sometimes - downright barking mad. The tumours kept growing, getting cut out and coming back again as he tried everything that medical science and crazy witch-doctory could throw at it. It's not a spoiler to say that he didn't make it - but he gave it a damned good try.
His story is interesting but perhaps not in the way he may have intended and it's ghost written in a way that seems to have surgically removed any hint of deep emotion. I didn't like the style and it felt very fake - but that's how I almost always feel about ghost-written books. I'm left wondering what the 'take-away' from this book is supposed to be. I'm pretty sure the publishers intend me to be impressed and uplifted but I'm not. Instead I'm left baffled that whilst most cancer patients struggle to get permission to travel let alone affordable insurance, Stynes and his family were bouncing off all over the world on various holidays and therapy trips. I'm also sad to see that when you are famous (well locally at least) and you've got the money, you can extend your life via the best doctors, the best and newest experimental treatments and therapies, and not having to worry about where the money is coming from doesn't have to get in the way of trying to get better.
I don't want to knock a dead guy for being wealthy and well-connected as that seems like a really snitty thing to do, but it's hard to see the value to the person in the street of waving what they can't have at them in this way.
The highlight? When his caffeine colonic irrigation goes horribly wrong leaving him lying on the bathroom floor looking like "Every barrista's worst nightmare".
Jim Stynes was diagnosed with cancer - probably Melanoma but this stuff was rampaging around his body with ferocity and it didn't seem to be 100% clear where it started - in 2009. He was a retired Aussie Rules footballer (not a sport that many outside Aus know anything about), ran a charity for young people and was a senior official in the Melbourne football club for which he'd played for many years. He had a wife, Sam, and two young children and he seemed like the last person who'd get cancer. The book follows his 'Journey' through about 3 years of treatment - conventional, experimental, complementary, alternative and - sometimes - downright barking mad. The tumours kept growing, getting cut out and coming back again as he tried everything that medical science and crazy witch-doctory could throw at it. It's not a spoiler to say that he didn't make it - but he gave it a damned good try.
His story is interesting but perhaps not in the way he may have intended and it's ghost written in a way that seems to have surgically removed any hint of deep emotion. I didn't like the style and it felt very fake - but that's how I almost always feel about ghost-written books. I'm left wondering what the 'take-away' from this book is supposed to be. I'm pretty sure the publishers intend me to be impressed and uplifted but I'm not. Instead I'm left baffled that whilst most cancer patients struggle to get permission to travel let alone affordable insurance, Stynes and his family were bouncing off all over the world on various holidays and therapy trips. I'm also sad to see that when you are famous (well locally at least) and you've got the money, you can extend your life via the best doctors, the best and newest experimental treatments and therapies, and not having to worry about where the money is coming from doesn't have to get in the way of trying to get better.
I don't want to knock a dead guy for being wealthy and well-connected as that seems like a really snitty thing to do, but it's hard to see the value to the person in the street of waving what they can't have at them in this way.
The highlight? When his caffeine colonic irrigation goes horribly wrong leaving him lying on the bathroom floor looking like "Every barrista's worst nightmare".
March 28, 2013
Loved this. Such a prominent and impressive Melbourne icon and his illness was so public. When the book came out the reviews were all great and it's been on my to-read list for a while. Jim was about my age so all his stories from his early years had a nice comfortable familiarity (even though he spent his first 18 years in Ireland). And of course being a huge AFL fan and a Melbourne girl i loved the constant reminders of a history i lived with him (vicariously!!). Reading his story you get the sense that this man was just a powerful and determined life force and he is quite frank about how he confronted his mortality, at first with a very aggressive resistance but over time with quiet and noble dignity. There are some very frank revelations about the pressures the illness put on what was an already tense and difficult marriage and some glimpses of how both Jim and his wife Sam set aside their own personal biases to devote themselves to one another and rediscover their special bond. He writes with such frank pragmatism and I think it's for this reason that I got to the end of the book and my box of tissues was (surprisingly) untouched. RIP
June 3, 2014
Challenging read for me, I purchased the book a couple of years ago and life happened in the middle but I thought it was time to read it. Not a read for the reading experience but to hear of Jim's life journey which was interesting indeed. I met Jim quite a few years ago with is Reach hat on and he came across as nothing less than a man on a mission to achieve success with Reach. I found reading some aspects of his cancer fight challenging as I wondered if there was a limit to just what extremes one should go to in their search for a cure and I the thought also crossed my mind that Jim was offered a lot that many others might not due to who he was or the resources he had available.
October 23, 2012
Jim Stynes was a phenomenal person who did extraordinary things in Australia. In Year 10 I visited Reach's Dream Factory and was very touched by the work he set up there. Being bullied since Year 7 my mind was opened to the fact that I am more than what people say I am, and that those bullies mean absolutely nothing to me. Stynes was an inspiration for me, personally, and his death in March this year hit me hard, but also reminded me to keep going strong, knowing that I can do extraordinary things if I set my mind to it. RIP Jim Stynes.
January 20, 2013
This was a very emotional story. I was impressed by Jim and his wife Sam's honesty. It has definitely made me realise that I need to slow down and smell the roses. His resilience and optimism was truly amazing faced with such adversity. He must have been a truly, amazing individual to be surrounded by so many supportive friends and family throughout his life. Hopefully with the help of those same supportive friends and family, his young children will get to keep a picture of their Dad with them always, as he wished that they would. Rest in Peace, Jim Stynes. X
April 8, 2016
Having a soft spot for the Melbourne Football Club, and having briefly met Jim Stynes many years ago, I wanted to read his book and learn more about him. I struggled at times with the sadness of his situation but then was equally inspired by his approach at tackling things head on, and looking at all possible solutions. A great book about a great man, showing he is human like the rest of us; has good days and shit ones too!
This book is well worth the read, regardless of any interest or not in Aussie Rules Football.
This book is well worth the read, regardless of any interest or not in Aussie Rules Football.
July 24, 2013
As I am not overly interested in AFL I thought I would struggle with the references to footy but jims underlining message of never give in was inspirational. A truly remarkable man with a fantastic wife and family and friends network that supported him and his sometimes more obscure "remedies". Brought tears to my eyes. A truly good read that reminds us all that we are not here for a long time, and that everyone can fall to cancer..
April 16, 2015
This is not an easy read as this man went through hell at times and had his hopes dashed many times but through it all he kept going.
This man achieved much and this is a great testimony to him and his wife who supported him throughout - even when times were not so good.
There is a quote near the end of the book that sums it up well
Even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained.
Seamus Heaney
This man achieved much and this is a great testimony to him and his wife who supported him throughout - even when times were not so good.
There is a quote near the end of the book that sums it up well
Even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained.
Seamus Heaney
January 5, 2014
I really enjoyed this recount of a remarkable man: Jim Stynes. Having followed afl footy for as long as I can remember I was aware of the remarkable character that Jim withheld. This raw story explains his journey right to the very end. I couldn't help shedding a tear. His wife Sam fought with her husband and helped his journey end with peace and love x RIP Jimmy
January 22, 2013
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Jimmy Stynes. This is a man who has such humility and yet helped so many. He is an inspiration. His courage right to the very end of his battle into be admired and this come across in his book, which is so beautifully written. We get a true sense of the man that is Jimmy. A sad but inspiring book. I would go so far as to say, a must read.
February 17, 2013
Brought me to tears a few times, amazing man!
What he went through to stay with his family longer was inspirational. I found it interesting not only as a dees supported but as a person who was watching Jim battle his illness. Some interesting facts were included that I didn't know about him. Great read!!
What he went through to stay with his family longer was inspirational. I found it interesting not only as a dees supported but as a person who was watching Jim battle his illness. Some interesting facts were included that I didn't know about him. Great read!!
October 16, 2012
A courageous book to write, and not just because he was facing his own mortality. I'm not a football fan bur I admired Jim Stynes long before his cancer diagnosis and I admire him even more for his honesty in writing this.
October 11, 2012
Wow, what an amzing journey of hope in the face of setbacks and cancer returning over and over.
This was a well written book giving us a no holds barred insight into Jims journey from diagnosis to his death from Melanoma cancer. I was very inspired and felt gratitude for my own health and life.
This was a well written book giving us a no holds barred insight into Jims journey from diagnosis to his death from Melanoma cancer. I was very inspired and felt gratitude for my own health and life.
September 21, 2012
Searingly honest to the extent Jim Stynes was not afraid to admit his failings, to tell tales against himself- the world could do with a bit more of that. Enjoyed every bit if it and particularly the last chapter from his wife.
September 23, 2012
Excellent read. The books flows brilliantly and gives you an incredibly personal account of Jim's life and battle with cancer.
I don't know much about AFL or even Jim Stynes prior to him passing away, but still found myself moved by the book.
I don't know much about AFL or even Jim Stynes prior to him passing away, but still found myself moved by the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews