“I feel like I might be the most blessed person in the city of Indianapolis,” says Jim Peal, strength coach for Butler University. Peal was diagnosed with colon cancer last month, but after undergoing surgery on Feb. 4, he is now cancer-free. The surgery went “fantastic,” and Peal says he will not need to have any further treatment. Peal had an early form of colon cancer, and the surgeons were able to remove it all.
An outpouring of support from colleagues, students, friends, and fans emerged after news of Peal’s cancer broke. Peal says the responses and messages have been very uplifting, and he’s “feeling really tremendous support from the Butler community.” Peal has been coaching at Butler for 10 years and has been in charge of the strength, flexibility, and conditioning programs for Butler teams since 2005.
With this battle behind him, Peal is looking forward to returning to Butler and doing what he does best—making the Bulldogs stronger as the tournament approaches.
