02. From Terminal Diagnosis to World Champion at 71 | Dr. Gilles LaMarche
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Some stories stay with you long after the conversation ends. This is one of them.
Today, I sit down with Dr. Gilles LaMarche: chiropractor, speaker, educator, author, Vice President of University Advancement at Life University, and a 2025 World Champion in the 400-meter run for Team USA Masters Track and Field.
But this conversation goes far beyond the accolades.
At twelve, Dr. Gilles was a chronically unwell kid living with constant pain and digestive issues, until one chiropractic visit changed what he believed was possible for his body. Decades later, at 48, after years of teaching others about the body's ability to heal, he was diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension and told he had two years to live.
What he chose next and what happened after are the heart of this episode.
The Visit That Started a 47-Year Journey
At twelve, after a fall left him in months of pain, a chiropractor introduced Dr. Gilles to an idea he had never heard: that the body is built to heal itself when the interference is removed. His back pain resolved, and for the first time, he experienced normal digestion. That single experience set the course for his life's work. As he tells it, he shook the chiropractor's hand and said, "When I'm big, I want to be like you." He was twelve years old.
The Diagnosis
Decades into a thriving practice, Dr. Gilles began struggling to breathe. After months of searching for an allergy that wasn't there, a worried assistant and a doctor friend finally pushed him to get checked. The diagnosis was primary pulmonary hypertension. His heart had grown to two and a half times its normal size, and he was given two years to live. The one option offered was a double lung and heart transplant, and even that came with only a few "good years" and no return to the work he loved.
From Preparing to Die to Choosing to Heal
Dr. Gilles made a decision that stunned everyone around him. He declined the transplant, retired, and began putting his affairs in order.
Then, thirty-one days into retirement, he had a realization he couldn't shake. He had spent his entire career teaching a paradigm of healing while quietly neglecting his own care. He hadn't had a thorough chiropractic exam or X-ray in nearly 30 years. So he booked himself in as a new patient. The films revealed severe subluxations in the exact region of the spine where the nerves feed the heart and lungs. He began intensive care, and in his account, his pulmonary pressure dropped from 57 to 27 within three months, returned to normal within a year, and his heart shrank back to its original size within two.
A Voice at the Track to World Champion Gold
In 2022, sixteen years after he was told he would be gone, Dr. Gilles woke one morning to a voice telling him to "go to the track." He went. Somewhere on that walk, the idea came to train for one more meet. He found a coach, a former Jamaican Olympian, and began rebuilding from a first-time 400 of 2 minutes and 33 seconds. Two years later, at 70, he crossed the line as a World Champion in the 400 meters, running faster than he had all season. He's now training for his next World Championship, with his eyes on more medals.
What Most People Get Wrong About Chiropractic
This is where the conversation widens. In Dr. Gilles' view, chiropractic isn't about back and neck pain. It's about the nervous system and the connection between the brain and the body. He had no pain at all when his heart and lungs were failing, which is exactly why he believes regular check-ups matter so much: symptoms tend to show up long after the underlying issue begins. He also shares his work on what he calls "tech posture syndrome," the toll of constantly looking down at our screens, and the message behind his upcoming book, Look Up.
The Habits Behind a World Champion at 71
Maybe the most practical part of the episode is how simple his daily rhythm actually is. Prayer and gratitude before he gets out of bed. Everything was prepped the night before. Consistent training. Water before anything else. And his phone is off at 8 pm every night so his body can truly rest.
His advice for anyone who feels overwhelmed by it all? Start with one. One small change, repeated consistently, until it becomes who you are.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
(With timestamps so you can jump right to what you need)
04:28 — The unwell 12-year-old and the visit that started a 47-year journey
10:52 — At 48, the diagnosis that stopped everything
14:41 — A heart two and a half times its size, a two-year prognosis, and why he declined the transplant
20:37 — The epiphany 31 days into retirement
24:13 — How his numbers changed over the months that followed
27:37 — The morning he heard "go to the track."
38:36 — Winning World Championship gold at 70
45:11 — His daily regimen for healing and performance
53:13 — "Start with one": where to begin if it all feels like too much
About Dr. Gilles LaMarche
Dr. Gilles LaMarche is a chiropractor, speaker, educator, author, and Vice President of University Advancement at Life University. He practiced for 25 years in Northern Ontario, Canada, has spoken on nearly every continent, authored more than 15 books, and was voted one of the Top 20 Most Influential People in Chiropractic in 2025. At 71, he is also a 2025 World Champion in the 400-meter run for Team USA Masters Track and Field.
Final Thoughts
This episode is a powerful reminder that healing is rarely about one dramatic moment. It's about the small, consistent choices. The way we care for our bodies. The thoughts we rehearse. The habits we keep. And a willingness to believe the body may be capable of more than we were taught.
Whether you're a practitioner, a parent, or simply someone trying to feel better in your own body, this conversation will stay with you.
→ Find Dr. Gilles on Instagram and LinkedIn, and watch for his upcoming book Look Up, releasing in 2026.
If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it and leave a review. And if you're a natural health or wellness practitioner with a story to tell, I'd love to connect at practitionersrise.com.
