The late Peter McGough speaks to the importance of positivity and dedication in his battle against cancer.
On December 29, 2020, renowned bodybuilding journalist Peter McGough passed away. It was a devastating blow to the bodybuilding community. While the exact cause of death was not stated, he had been fighting a battle against cancer for the past eight years. McGough’s work in bodybuilding spans over four decades.
Throughout our time producing films and digital content in the bodybuilding industry, we had the pleasure of interviewing Peter McGough a small number of times. His vast knowledge on the history of bodybuilding provided valuable insight into the subject matters we explored throughout our films.
In our latest interview with Peter McGough, he had been battling cancer for over seven years. We took some time to sit down and have a conversation about his cancer diagnosis and his fight throughout the years. What transpired was an emotional and powerful exploration into McGough’s world view in the final years of his life.
In tribute to Peter McGough, we are now releasing the interview footage from that conversation. McGough briefly takes us through every step of his battle against cancer – from his diagnosis to the new medication he was taking at the time of our interview.
Most importantly, he shares his mindset throughout the eight years of fighting against cancer. He describes his determination in finding something to live for. Finding something worth staying alive for and using that as his fuel to battle the cancer.
Peter McGough understood that positivity in the face of death, while helpful, is not a guarantee for survival. So instead, McGough did the next best thing he could think of. He found a reason to live and decided to focus on that instead of obsessing over the cancer.
“Don’t look back, don’t look too far forward. Just to the next appointment, the next scan, test, operation,” Peter McGough stated in our interview. He continued:
“Don’t become obsessed with it. Don’t let it impact on your life. Don’t let that bastard define who you are…For others, never give up. I’ve been enormous pain at times but I’ve always had the confidence, it’s going to end. It’s going to stop… My advice for people. You need to fight for your life.”
Peter McGough also describes the amazing doctors and facilities that helped him through the years. In the video, he seems truly thankful for the incredible support he was able to receive. He thanks the doctors and nurses by name.
The interview ultimately shows exactly what made Peter McGough such a big part of the bodybuilding world. While his journalism in the sport was impeccable, he also had a passion and a spirit that was infectious. That’s on full display here and a showcase of how he was able to live eight years longer with such a painful and deadly disease.
Born in Corby, England, McGough became passionate about bodybuilding during his teenage years. By the 1980s, McGough had begun writing about bodybuilding as a freelancer for any muscle magazine that would accept his work. In 1985, McGough co-published Muscle & Co. It ran through to 1989.
In 1991, Peter McGough partnered with Anne Byron (who would later become his wife) to release another publication called Pumping Press. The publication was meant to be a newspaper for bodybuilding. Pumping Press would only last nine issues. This was due to Joe Weider hiring McGough in 1992. He was hired to work on the leading magazines in the industry such as FLEX magazine and Muscle & Fitness. McGough eventually rose the ranks to become the editorial director of FLEX, Muscle & Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness Hers.
Later in 2012, Peter McGough switched from FLEX magazine to a rival publication – Muscular Development. A year later, in 2013, McGough was diagnosed with stage four cancer. In 2017, McGough left Muscular Development. He would continue to occasionally freelance for bodybuilding publications through to his death.
Peter McGough is survived by his wife, Anne. His death led to a sweep of dedications throughout the bodybuilding industry from fans, colleagues, friends, and athletes. He will be missed.
You can watch our tribute video and final interview with Peter McGough above.
