Former Orlando news anchor Wendy Chioji dies of cancer

ORLANDO, Fla. - Wendy Chioji, a former news anchor for WESH-Channel 2, died Monday night after a long battle with cancer. She was 57.

“My beautiful, strong, defiant, bad-ass sister, Wendy Chioji, lost her fight with cancer tonight,” her brother, Alan Chiogioji, wrote late Monday on Facebook. “From climbing mountains, to participating in triathlons, to traveling the world, she lived everyday to the fullest. She never let her disease stop her from doing the things that she wanted to do. She is my hero, and I miss her already.” 

Chioji was with WESH for 20 years before leaving in 2008 to move to Utah. In 2001, during a newscast, Chioji announced she had breast cancer.
She detailed her life and health battle through her blog “Live Fearlessly.” 

“In 2013, she revealed that she had thymic carcinoma, a cancer of the thymus gland,” the Orlando Sentinel reports. “A year later, she announced the cancer had returned.”

In August 2019, Chioji said that her doctor suggested hospice as an option. 

Former news anchor Wendy Chioji. (Growing Bolder / Supplied)

Her reaction: “I remain unafraid to die, but not now. I’m not ready. I haven’t finished fighting with all the weapons available to me, and I have too many things to do and places to go. Still, it took me a good twenty minutes to get my s--- together enough to say, ‘No hospice. I’m not ready for that.'”

Chioji posted for the last time, writing: “I am grateful I have lived well on my borrowed time for five years this Labor Day. I am hopeful I’ll borrow five more. #defy #livefearlessly”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer tweeted out his condolences on Tuesday morning.

"Wendy inspired so many by truly living fearlessly during her battles with cancer. She will be missed."