The 47-year-old personal trainer dad was given a lifespan of less than 18 months –

A personal trainer was given 18 months to live after it was discovered that his “sports injury” was cancer.

Mark Potter, 47, from Chingford, Essex, began feeling numbness in his calves in January.

But the former champion boxer, who was squatting 200 kg (440 lb) at the time, shrugged and pinched nerves from overtraining.

But when the numbness began to spread to his leg, the father of two went to his primary care doctor and was eventually diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer.

Doctors said the disease had spread to his spine, with tumors compressing his nerves, causing numbness in his legs.

The boxing referee now receives biweekly chemotherapy to prolong his life.

His family hopes the treatment will work. “We remain positive and we still think he can beat him,” said his wife and colleague PT Hannah.

Mr. Potter’s wife Hannah (left) and the rest of the family continue to hope that he will make a full recovery. His friends described him as “the fittest and healthiest” man they knew. In the photo on the right, Mr. Potter is at a boxing match. Mr. Potter says he won 21 of the 26 competitions he entered.

Stomach cancer is not common in the UK and around 6,500 people are diagnosed with the condition each year. About 26,000 cases are discovered each year in the United States.

According to Cancer Research UK, about one in two people diagnosed with stomach cancer survive at least a year.

But once the cancer reaches stage four, only about 20% will survive the last 12 months.

Speaking about her husband’s diagnosis, Ms. Potter, 45, said: “I was completely devastated when they told us about the diagnosis.

“She has stomach tumors that have spread to her spine and are causing numbness.

“Obviously, you were hoping for the best when you told us, so I thought maybe it was phase two.

“After being told it’s stage four, the doctor said she could be 18 months old with treatment, but we remain positive and still think she can beat it.”

Friends and family have described Mr. Potter as “with a heart of gold” and as one of the “fittest and healthiest” people they know.

When diagnosed, he could run six kilometers in 30 minutes and squat and deadlift 200 kg.

Mr. Potter has won 21 of 26 professional fights during his boxing career. He also participated in MMA fights and kickboxing.

His wife described the moment she first realized something was wrong: “When you said the calf was really weird, I thought it must have been a pinched nerve or something.

“He was doing regular squats and deadlifts, and we thought he was.”

The family also changed her diet, which they believed would help her cure.

Mr. Potter has now phased out sugar and nearly all meats and instead eats mostly plant-based foods.

Friend Finlay said: ‘As far as the NHS is concerned, the treatment Mark will receive will only prolong the inevitable.

“I was absolutely outraged that such devastating news was being conveyed without even suggesting that there were additional treatments to be discovered.

“Stage four cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence… that’s exactly how many people survive after getting cancer.”

Mr. Potter’s two children, Sam, 27 and Rosie, are 20.

In the picture above, Mr. Potter is doing squats at the gym. Before diagnosis, he could lift up to 200 kg for six repetitions.

Warning signs of stomach cancer include regular indigestion, loss of appetite and pain in the abdomen.

But the NHS says these symptoms are “very common” and may actually indicate conditions other than stomach cancer.

In very rare cases, the first sign of stomach cancer may appear even after it has spread to the spine.

Symptoms of spinal tumors include loss of sensation in the limbs when the tumors begin to compress important nerves.

Smoking, being overweight, and eating too much salt, red or processed meat increase the risk of stomach cancer.