By Risheek Priyadarshi | Staff Writer

Stuart Scott, an American ESPN sports anchor, died on January 4, 2015 at the age of 49. He is best known for his energetic charisma on air and for making catchphrases like “Boo-yah” and “as cool as the other side of the pillow” famous throughout the sports world. Scott battled against a rare cancer for seven years while working on ESPN. Till the very end, he never gave up and maintained a positive attitude. Scott is survived by his girlfriend, Kristin Spodobalski, and two daughters, Taelor and Sydni Scott. “His energetic and unwavering devotion to his family and to his work while fighting the battle of his life left us in awe.” said John Skipper, the ESPN president. “He leaves a void that can never be replaced.”

Prior to his death, Scott suffered many health related problems. He was first diagnosed in 2007 when his appendix was removed and subsequently had to go through around 60 chemotherapy treatments. Despite this, he was undeterred and never asked what stage his cancer was in. Friends and family would say how he would never be the person in the hospital to complain, even though he was the person in the most pain. “That’s what I love about him,” says Suzy Kolber, a sportscaster for ESPN. “No matter how big he got, no matter how bad it got, he never changed. He loved his work, he loved his daughters, he loved being Stu.”

Scott’s will and strength while battling against cancer served as an inspiration to athletes and sports fans alike. He is probably best remembered for his acceptance speech during the EPSYS Jimmy V. Perseverance award for his battle with cancer in 2014. At this point, Scott would rarely make any public appearances because of his deteriorating condition. In fact, he was so weak that he almost didn’t go. But he went anyways and left us with this iconic quote, “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.” Scott definitely won.