Robin Roberts Cancer made me stronger

ROBIN ROBERTS, GMA’s co-anchor, is stronger than ever. She talks with us about surviving two life-threatening illnesses and the results of our Parade/Cleveland Clinic Healthy Now survey.

Would you rather be… Thin or Strong? Sharp or Sexy? The surprising results from our Healthy Now

If you’re looking for someone who defines strength under fire, you’ll find no better role model than Robin Roberts, Good Morning America’s co-anchor since 2005 and a two-time cancer survivor.

Roberts was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and then, in 2012, was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare and often fatal blood disease. In fact, she just celebrated her six-year “birthday,” meaning it has been six years since her sister Sally-Ann donated the bone marrow needed for Roberts’ lifesaving transplant.

Her health journey made her particularly interested in the results of our recent Parade/Cleveland Clinic survey, which revealed that Americans are rethinking what it means to be healthy. Instead of focusing on meeting society’s unrealistic body standards, respondents were more concerned with being seen as positive, mentally sharp and balanced. They chose strong over thin and smart over sexy. We knew Roberts would have a lot to say about what it means to be healthy today. Strong is the new healthy “Thank you for saying being physically and mentally strong is the new healthy, because I believe everything I have faced—whether at GMA or with my health challenges—is as much mental as it is physical,” Roberts, 57, says while sipping warm water with lemon during our interview at GMA ’s Times Square studio. “My mantra is ‘I have to change the way I think in order to change the way I feel.’ That gets me motivated.”

Another study revelation: While many of us are coping with a health issue, that doesn’t mean we have to lead unhealthy lives. In fact, the survey revealed that 67 percent of Americans believe it’s possible to balance being healthy and dealing with a chronic illness, something that resonated deeply with Roberts.

“It’s funny to say, after going through cancer twice, that I feel stronger than I ever have in my entire life, but I can