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If there's one thing you need to know about Kevin Thurman, it's that he slaps adversity in the face. Thurman, 31, has suffered from potentially deadly illness called Lyme disease since he was in college. He's been forced to take on excruciating chemotherapy treatments for several years, stripping away the regular life that most young people get to enjoy.
But Thurman never let the ailment in the way of his life goals.
In 2005, Thurman left his corporate job in search of a line of work that would allow him the standard of living he desired. He was constantly sick and needed a change. That's when he turned to poker. Thurman deposited $500 online and began to grind low-stakes cash games. And as they say, the rest was history.
Four years later, Thurman was playing some of the largest cash games available on PokerStars and had won more than $2 million online under the name "WizardofAhhs." But, amazingly, that wasn't enough. He needed another challenge. Before the New Year began, Thurman set a seemingly unachievable goal to break the record for most VIP Player Points earned in a year.
Twelve months later, Thurman had played more than 5 million hands at PokerStars to shatter the VIP Player Points record. He amassed more the 3 million VPPs -- triple the amount needed to attain Supernova elite status. As a reward for his accomplishments, Thurman was offered a sponsorship deal to become a member of Team PokerStars Online.
Thurman's latest life hurdle came in April 2011 when his job was ripped away from him. As a resident of Texas, PokerStars was no longer available to players in the United States. But, as he's done all his life, Thurman found a solution. He packed his bags and moved to a beautiful setting in Canada to resume his online poker career.
We caught up with Thurman to discuss his move to Canada and how his life has changed in the wake of Black Friday.

You recently moved from Texas to a gorgeous location in British Columbia. How has that transition been for you as a poker player and in your regular day life?



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