71-year-old Health Coach trains body and mind of community after triumphant battle with cancer

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- 71-year-old Howard Aaron has been a competitive weightlifter for years.

What he didn't know was that he has been training for the toughest battle of his life.

"Now I'm training to live. I'm training to deal with cancer and chemotherapy," said Health Coach, Howard Aaron.

Last year, he was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer: intravascular B-cell lymphoma.

The diagnosis came after Aaron was met with great confusion and forgetfulness in his daily life.

With help from Sunita Nasta, MD from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, he trained his body for a new battle, one that he needed to win.

"My daughter said to Dr. Nasta: 'in your career. How many people have you put into remission?' and Dr. Nasta didn't skip a beat and said: 'your father will be number eight,'" said Aaron.

"Self-will actually helps your medical team do that much more for you. Every patient has their own maximum dose, and with Howard we didn't pull any punches. We went to the very highest dose. We have an amazing base of patients, as a team here at Penn Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center, just want all of our patients to be as determined and dedicated as Howard," said Sunita Nasta, MD.

Now in remission and at 71 years old, Aaron seeks to build strength in the community, preparing them if they ever have to face the type of battle he has won.

" I was put into remission because I was strong enough to battle the disease. Then I realized I need to help pass this on to other people," said Aaron.

For more information on Howard Aaron, check out his website.

Also, check out Penn Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center.