July 7, 2006 — The following account is provided by Pharmanex Distributor Richard Ellis.

"My father died at 57 after two heart attacks and several surgeries, including two open-heart surgeries. After his first heart attack at 42, his life was never the same. My mother suffered with chronic illnesses for over 45 years and died of advanced coronary disease, angina and diabetes. My son Jeff was born with cerebral palsy; he's in a wheelchair. Not a single day in his 34 years has passed without some kind of health challenge, pain, or limiting factor. My younger brother lost a kidney to cancer and has suffered for 35 years with colon health challenges.

"Quite simply, I was motivated by poor family health and felt I could improve my odds and protect the quality of my life by learning all I could about nutrition. I also wanted to find work that gave me an opportunity help other people along the way. I have been in the networking nutritional industry now for the last 24 years. Throughout my 24-year journey toward better health I have enjoyed tremendous success and I have seen lives change toward better health.

"Last August I was humbled by a massive attack on my body by myasthenia gravis, a disease that paralyzes certain muscles. In a split second, my life went from being extremely active at work and play to being severely limited by chronic illness, hospitals, surgeries, medications, and pain. In early June this year, I had a massive thymectomy, which involved cracking my chest bone and removing all thymus gland tissue and several lymph nodes. What they never expected to find was very active cancer tumors.

"Although I have been surrounded by chronic, poor health my entire life, I did not truly understand how it robbed life in a split second until I, myself, experienced taking 15 prescription drugs; became an insulin-dependent diabetic; and endured x-rays, blood tests, MRIs, CT scans and multiple surgeries with horrible side effects that stressed my body 24-hours a day. My experience changed everything!"

Our Mission is a Marathon... Not a Sprint
"As in any endeavor, you are either a participant or a spectator. When you are a participant, you are filled with expectations and adrenaline; you gain knowledge, skills and experience. The leadership within Pharmanex is overflowing with people committed to being participants. Through this health/business endeavor my personal growth in all areas of life has been astonishingly strong. The journey has changed me in such a positive way.

"Unfortunately, too many people think building a business is like a sprint—a short run with a quick reward. Distributors that build with sprint efforts quickly become frustrated because their business shrinks and they are never able to realize the consistent growth that comes through persistence over time. Without a clear vision of the possibilities, the long-term benefits are never realized. Instead of quitting, I have chosen to live a life that will be measured in years and decades rather than seconds.

"Any legitimate business—like a marathon—requires training, preparation, conditioning, and growth. You must challenge yourself, push your limits, and experience pain and doubt as well as uphill and downhill runs. It takes persistence. A marathon is life-changing; ask anyone who has trained for and run in one. Our business is a marathon with a mission.

"As we build our businesses with a marathon attitude, we create leaders that unite the market place. From neighborhood to neighborhood, city to city, state to state, country to country, our influence becomes part of an ever-growing fabric that will eventually grow so thick it can not be penetrated or ignored. It will capture new customers, distributors and wellness professionals—and it will changes lives for the better.

"I have had the privilege to attend the "Vision in Motion" trip, several "Fly-In's" and "Team Elite University" at the corporate headquarters. I met with senior management and corporate support staff, heard their vision for the company's future. I was inspired by their integrity, kindness, and commitment. The experience was like being lifted onto the shoulders of a giant so that you can see further and clearer than you could on your own. You must go see for yourself. It will trigger things inside you that will rise to the surface and change your life.

"Simply put, no one in the nutritional world is doing anything even close to what we are doing. Pharmanex leads the industry by establishing a standard that will be followed for generations to come. Our opportunity is composed of an almost magical mixture of components. We are supported with the S2 Scanner technology, nutritional and medical rights world-wide, in-house research scientists, product development experts, financial resources, seasoned corporate management and outstanding distributor leadership. Pharmanex stands heads above any other company in the industry."

My Personal Challenge to All of You
"If possible, give of yourself. Be a force for good by visiting a chronic-illness treatment center, cancer center, or hospital. Volunteer. Talk with the patients about how their lives have been changed by illness. Ask them what they would do differently if they could roll back time. Ask them about the power of preventative healthcare and the responsibility of each individual to fight for good health. Share your commitment with them. I promise you, this will impact your understanding of why our mission is so critical. It will give you the taste of experience that changes lives.

"I will never forget what it was like to wake up after surgery tethered to a bed—my arms and legs in restraints, and a breathing tube down my throat. I was unable to communicate in any way. I was literally unable to protect my nose from a fly. That humbling and vulnerable experience strengthened my commitment more than ever."

A Force for Good
"One of the most inspiring parts of this story is the support of my Pharmanex partners and friends. The corporate support staff has been incredible and my upline business partners and sideline friends have jumped in to help my group grow during these most exciting and challenging times. My business has actually grown, allowing me the peace-of-mind and financial security we talk about in our business. I can not visualize that happening anywhere else. Thank you Nu Skin and Pharmanex and thank you to all my business friends and partners.

"I believe that Pharmanex products are responsible for my victories over severe health challenges and I am confident they hold the best chance to my full recovery. Being a part of Pharmanex during the original [Pharmanex BioPhotonic] Scanner launch has been the most fulfilling and proudest time of my career.

"In the end, we will all have some unfinished business in our lives. Part of what a healthy life is all about is looking forward to the next day to see what we can make of it. What is so sad is to regret not doing or not becoming the very best we can with the time, resources and opportunities we have.

"I have big plans for the tomorrows in my life. I will have no regrets. I wish you all the best with your businesses. Soar with the eagles. From experience, I can tell you that the view is exhilarating."