East Tennessee man takes fight against colorectal cancer to Capitol Hill [Video]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Michael Holtz is a survivor of colorectal cancer, a diagnosis he received more than a decade ago while training to run a marathon.

He’s been cancer-free since 2013 and spent the last eight days jet-setting from Arizona to Washington D.C., to spread his message about taking preventative measures against the illness.

“My surgeon liked to let me know, you know, I should have had a recurrence. There was a 95% likelihood that I would have had a cancer recurrence in the first five years after my diagnosis,” Holtz said. “So I feel very blessed and lucky that that didn’t happen to me. And ever since I’ve wanted to do everything I can to help other people who have went through what I went through.”

He attended a colorectal cancer awareness event, the Colorguard Classic, in Tuscon, last week. 

Holtz said he was able to …