Grappling with Cancer
CAF jiu-jitsu instructor’s fighting spirit shows as he perseveres through health challenges
By Nathan Stone,
Trident Staff
A decade-long battle with cancer is just another card in Master Corporal (MCpl) Eric Nevitt’s fighting career. Through his love of martial arts, he has found the strength to fight illness — and a drive to share his passion — as an instructor at the 12 Wing Shearwater Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club.
MCpl Nevitt is one of three instructors who volunteer their time to teach at the club; he’s been involved since 2018.
He describes himself as a lifelong fighter — a “scrapper” as a child who spent much of his time wrestling with his older brother. As he grew up, he became a fan of mixed martial arts and a regular viewer of the UFC. In 2009, he began training in Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
He quickly discovered a passion for the sport.
“I think jiu-jitsu is the most skillful, technical, and probably the most fun of the martial arts,” he said.
Before being posted to 12 Wing, MCpl Nevitt put his skills to the test in Fight League Atlantic, a local mixed martial arts promotion. He fought in five matches under the name Eric ‘Super Nova’ Nevitt. He says he never intended to become a professional fighter — he simply wanted to test himself and earn a few bragging rights.
In 2015, he found himself in a very different kind of fight. That year, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. At the time, he had moved on from pro fighting but was still actively competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He says he approached the diagnosis with the same mindset he brings to the mat.
“The fighter mentality was definitely very familiar and present. I’ve always been pretty positive… When I had to go through surgeries and take bad news, I just took it as another fight.”
Surgery forced him out of competition multiple times, but he stayed connected with fellow grapplers. Even while recovering, he did what he could to remain active in the sport.
“Every time I had a surgery, I’d be maybe five weeks recovered and back on the mats. I wasn’t training, but watching class and seeing what techniques they were doing. Even if I was all stitched up and hunched over, I was doing mobility and solo drills in the corner.”
Following several surgeries, including an orchiectomy, MCpl Nevitt was declared cancer free — but only temporarily.
In 2017, about 18 months later, a routine follow-up revealed the cancer had returned, this time in the lymph nodes around his abdomen.
To remove the cancerous sections, he underwent an invasive operation known as lymphadenectomy. The experience was difficult and left him with chronic pain in his left side.
Once again, he leaned on his fighting spirit to get through.
“It’s the fighter’s mentality… when I’m in the hospital, I’ve got my jiu-jitsu belt hanging off my IV rack.”
SUBMITTED
Over the next few years, he returned to form. He earned his black belt, began teaching at the 12 Wing club, and got married in 2023.
Then, in the summer of 2024, the cancer returned. This time, the treatment was chemotherapy. Once again, he was ready.
“It wasn’t my first rodeo,” he said. That mindset helped carry him through a difficult summer.
Today, MCpl Nevitt is again cancer free. After three diagnoses in ten years, he remains cautiously optimistic about the future. Through it all, he never gave up on Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He says experience has made him more mindful and technical, compared to a previous focus on speed and aggression.
He continues to give back to the martial arts community and now serves as a referee for local events. At a CAF Regional Grappling competition held in Halifax last December, he served as head official — earning admiration from friends and fellow athletes.
“His battle has been an inspiration to all of us,” said Sailor 1st Class Atlas Del Mar, a fellow instructor at the 12 Wing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club. “The stuff that he’s gone through hasn’t been easy, and to see him get back to training and refereeing has been incredible.”
The 12 Wing club continues to offer training sessions three times per week at the Shearwater Fitness, Sports and Recreation Centre. To meet growing interest, club members have also established an offshoot on the Halifax side. The HERO Grappling Club, led by S1 Del Mar, meets twice weekly in the Hand-to-Hand Combat Room on the third floor of Building S-120 at Stadacona. Like its Shearwater counterpart, the HERO club is PSP-supported and focused on skill development in a welcoming environment.
MCpl Nevitt describes the sport as a physical and mental challenge with a steep learning curve, but says the 12 Wing and HERO clubs are perfect for beginners looking to start their grappling journey.
