Meet JJ Singleton, Keynote Speaker at the Gathering of Wolves 2026
The Gathering of Wolves 2026 keynote belongs to JJ Singleton, a colorectal cancer survivor, clinical trial patient, and one of the hardest-working advocates in the cancer community. He takes the campfire on Friday, September 11, at our fifth annual men's cancer retreat in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
His talk is called Invisible Scars. The subject is possibility.
JJ Singleton's Colorectal Cancer Story
JJ is from Canton, North Carolina. He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in September 2015, at 27 years old. It spread throughout his body. In December 2017, a clinical trial saved his life, and he remains on that treatment today.
That is the part of the story that gets printed in program bios and read from stages. At the Gathering of Wolves, JJ is going to talk about the other part.
"Invisible Scars": The GOW 2026 Keynote
Friday, September 11 | 7:00 to 8:00 PM EDT | Campfire
JJ will open with a brief overview of his cancer story, including the mental health and emotional side that rarely makes it into a medical chart. Then he gets to the turn: what happened when he found this brotherhood.
Here's how he described the talk in his own words:
"My keynote topic is about possibilities. Specifically how Man Up to Cancer was the starting point of my life changing. I'll give a brief intro and overview of my cancer story, health and mental health and emotional health wise, and then focus in on how Man Up to Cancer allowed freedom and connection and support that broke down my walls and led to my life now in advocacy, in friendships, and finding a purpose in life."
What He Hopes Men Take Away
Most men who come to a cancer retreat for the first time arrive with their walls up. JJ knows that, because he did too. What he wants from Friday night is simple:
"I hope others hear my speech and realize there are possibilities out there to chase what you want, to dream again, and there is support and help and guidance here in Man Up to Cancer."
That is the whole argument for showing up. Not that cancer gets easier, but that you stop carrying it alone, and that what comes next can still be built.
A Voice for Rural Healthcare, Clinical Trials, and Young Adult Cancer Patients
Since his diagnosis, JJ has become a full-time advocate across some of the most under-served corners of cancer care:
Colorectal cancer and all-cancer screening and awareness
Rural healthcare access
Clinical trial research and patient education
Men's health
The AYA (adolescent and young adult) cancer community
He has worked with Fight CRC, the Colon Cancer Coalition, and Man Up to Cancer. He is a junior board member of Stupid Cancer and serves on patient advocate boards with SWOG and Medidata.
He does all of it while still in active treatment.
Why the Fifth Gathering of Wolves Matters
GOW 2026 is the fifth Gathering of Wolves. For JJ, it's his third. He was at the first two in Buffalo, and this will be his first year at the East Stroudsburg site.
We asked him why year five felt different. His answer became the best anniversary line anybody has given us:
"5 years is special because it's not just something in the fall anymore. It's an event that is counted on and planned for by hundreds of guys, and it's something everyone looks forward to through the ups and downs of the year."
That's what five years builds. Not a conference. A fixed point on the calendar you hold onto in February, when the scan results are bad and September feels a long way off.
How to Register for the Gathering of Wolves 2026
The Gathering of Wolves is Man Up to Cancer's annual retreat for men facing cancer, and it runs September 10 to 13, 2026, in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Free to attend
Travel stipends available, domestic and international
Open to men at any stage, newly diagnosed, in treatment, in remission, or living with metastatic disease
JJ's keynote is Friday night at the campfire. Come sit down.Register for GOW 2026: https://gow2026.manuptocancer.org)
Questions about the retreat? Email retreat@manuptocancer.org.
