After a decadeslong battle, Olivia Newton-John, a self-proclaimed “breast cancer thriver,” died “peacefully” Monday at the age of 73. Fans and Hollywood mourned the legendary “Grease” actress, remembering her for her inspiringly positive outlook on life (“I’m winning,” she would frequently remind fans in interviews). But what outsiders may not recognize is the mental strength and bravery required not only to live with cancer, but also thrive amid a life-changing condition.
“I am strong and I am back and I’m feeling good and loving every minute,” Olivia Newton-John said in 2018. These encouraging words came months after she revealed her third breast cancer diagnosis in a 30-year span; the first was when she was 43. Doctors later found the cancer had returned in 2012, and then again, this time with Stage 4 cancer, four years ago.
