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Gary Beck and Sharmilan Thanendrarajan, M.D., Ph.D. Image by Nathan Tidwell

Myeloma Survivor’s Competitive Spirit Remains Strong

April 10, 2026 | Gary Beck hasn’t let his myeloma diagnosis deter him from doing what he loves best.

“I’ve been an athlete all of my life,” said the 73-year-old Beck, who resides in Mountain Home and specializes in long-distance cycling. He has competed in 20K and 5K races at the national and state levels.

“I’ve been riding bikes for more than 20 years, and before that I was marathoner,” Beck said.

He didn’t experience any physical symptoms prior to his diagnosis, but a bike race provided some clues.

“I had been in a race maybe two or three weeks before my annual physical, and my results were not what I expected,” Beck said. “I thought maybe I was just getting older, but I didn’t think there was anything physically wrong.

“I’ve been going to the same doctor for years, and we’re always jovial,” Beck continued. “His tone changed when he saw that my creatinine levels had skyrocketed. He sent me to a local kidney specialist, who then referred me to an oncologist who performed a bone marrow biopsy that confirmed the myeloma diagnosis.”

That diagnosis came in early November 2019.

“The doctor explained to me that it’s treatable,” Beck said. “He said one upside is I’m going to refer you to one of the best places in the world to be treated, and it’s in Arkansas. Truer words were never spoken.”

Beck first came to UAMS in December 2019 and was assigned to Sharmilan Thanendrarajan, M.D., Ph.D., to manage his care. Beck was initially scheduled for a stem cell transplant, which was delayed by the COVID pandemic. He received the transplant in March 2021 and returned two months later for a second treatment.

“It was after the second treatment that everything took off,” Beck said. “It was like a plane taxiing down the runway — every week I felt better.”

Beck has progressed to the point where he is now off active treatment.

“Mr. Beck qualifies as being in stringent defined complete remission, which is currently the best outcome for myeloma,” said Thanendrarajan. “We are now just watching and observing.”

Beck is already seeing one important effect of his status.

“My immune system is starting to respond positively,” he said. “I had been staying local and not going into crowded areas during the winter months. I have young grandsons, and I would like to interact with them more now that my immune system is improving.”

He had concerns about his kidneys, but those have also been allayed.

“Dr. Thanendrarajan said my kidney function would come back. He has his finger on the pulse, and it’s very reassuring. His diagnosis has been spot on,” Beck said.

In July 2025, Beck competed in the National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa, finishing in the Top 25 in the 20K road race and in the Top 30 in the 5K time trial. Then in September at the Arkansas Senior Olympics in central Arkansas, he finished first in the 20K road race and in the 5K time trial.

“I was thrilled with my results at both events,” he said. “The competition was stiff. It was a long road back to being able to compete four years after a stem cell transplant.”

Beck is looking forward to the next competitions.

“I’ll be at the top of my age bracket for the Arkansas Senior Olympics later this year. At the next National Senior Games, I’ll be at the ‘young’ end of the 75-79 age group — I love it,” he said. “There’s a great deal of camaraderie at these races. We recognize our limitations and none of us are what we were, but we’re trying and giving it our best shot.”

Beck credits Thanendrarajan and UAMS for getting him back in action.

“I felt if I could exercise, I could get through this. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Dr. Thanendrarajan,” he said.

On his recent visit to UAMS, Beck presented Thanendrarajan with one of his medals.

“I was happy to give him the gold medal — I thought he deserved it for myeloma treatment,” said Beck. “I told him, ‘You’re the team doctor’ and when he’s having a tough day, he can remember how much he’s helped me.”