MILTON — Paul Williams is a well-known name in Sussex County.
The chief meteorologist for Coast TV, a Milton-based NBC affiliate, Mr. Williams brings joy, laughter and, of course, the weather forecast to anyone who tunes in.
What viewers may not know, however, is that his fight with prostate cancer changed him. And now, along with his TV work, he’s assisting others battling the disease via outreach and a fundraiser 5K.
Mr. Williams’ career started 40 years ago, as a radio announcer at age 16 in Mississippi.
Then, five years later, he said he was tricked into delivering his first weather report. He wanted to be an anchor, and a local station’s news director told him that, if he were to fill in for a weekend meteorologist who had quit, he would find a way to make anchoring happen.
That was until ratings jumped with the rookie’s forecast reports, and the director decided the weather position was Mr. Williams’ new job, despite it not being his passion.
Later, Mr. Williams was called by a rival station for what he believed to be an anchor spot. However, when he arrived, he discovered the position was another in meteorology. Upset that he still was not being offered the job he desired, he demanded that the station pay for his meteorology degree, expecting to be denied.
He was not.
So, Mr. Williams earned that diploma from Jackson State University, from where he also had a previous mass communications degree. Eventually, he fell in love with the profession.
“I couldn’t imagine not doing weather because it fits my skill set so well, being that I’m a scientist by nature (and) rather gregarious occasionally, ... so that’s how I ended up doing this,” he said. “I started in TV meteorology in 1990 and have been doing it ever since. So, that makes me sort of old, doesn’t it? Thirty-four years, yeah.”
He said he loves the uncertainty of the field, as well. It keeps him on his toes, and with the effects of climate change, he has a front-row seat to phenomena that have never been experienced.
Mr. Williams also said viewers tend to treat weatherpersons as members of their families and are willing to introduce themselves when out in the community.
His fans know him for his upbeat, lively personality on the news, a trait he said he gets from his mother.
Nevertheless, a lot of thought goes into the way he presents himself.
“When you’re a Black man in TV, people tend to be more comfortable with you acting like a vaudeville character instead of a critical scientist. So, there’s always that tight line you’ve got to walk with that,” he said. “I’m not trying to play into a stereotype in the first place, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not allowed to have fun either.”
That fun was curtailed in 2021, when Mr. Williams received his prostate cancer diagnosis via a routine blood test.
“I had an extremely aggressive case of prostate cancer, and it strikes 1 out of 8 men. And, out of Black men, (it) is 1 out of 6 because this is the kind of cancer that feeds on testosterone, and Black men, whether cliche or not, we have more testosterone on average than any other group. So, that’s why we are more susceptible to prostate cancer,” he said.
Mr. Williams went through 46 radiation treatments and took medication that essentially stops the production of testosterone, cutting off the cancer’s source. But that comes with its own side effects, he added.
“When you’re treated for prostate cancer, and they take away the testosterone, one of the first things that’s going to happen is that you’re going to lose muscle mass, and you’re going to become soft, your muscles will become soft,” he said. “Your joints will begin to ache. You will be stiff when you get up out of a seat. It feels like you’re aging at a rapid rate.”
He also explained that those undergoing treatment can have food cravings and gain weight. A patient could come out of treatment as a diabetic or with heart problems, on top of having survived cancer.
To assist others dealing with the illness, there is Mr. Williams’ alter ego, The Prostate Cancer Guy, who teaches workout methods to maximize the amount of muscle mass retained during treatment, as well as how to eat better.
A book he wrote on the subject is available at theprostatecancerguy.com , with the first four chapters offered for free, along with several other complimentary resources. Mr. Williams also meets with patients individually.
And next month, he will present the inaugural Walk 4 Prostate Cancer.
The 5K event is set for 10 a.m. Sept. 29 at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition. Registration is $50, which includes a T-shirt. Vendors and sponsors are being sought, too.
Plus, walk attendees will be screened for prostate cancer via blood tests at low or no cost.
“Mainly, we want to have community there, and we want to have information there, and we want to have testing there so that you can know what your status is or find out quickly,” Mr. Williams said. “Because, when it comes to prostate cancer, early diagnosis is the key to survival.”
For information, visit walk4prostatecancer.org or the event’s Facebook, Instagram or Threads pages.
The deadline to register and ensure a T-shirt is Sept. 22, but walk-ups will not be turned away.
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