HIV/AIDS LONG-TERM SURVIVOR * YOUTH EDUCATION * ADVOCACY * ACTIVISM * RESOURCES
Houston, Texas - United States
FIGHT ON AND NEVER EVER SURRENDER!
This life hasn’t been easy. But it’s been mine to fight for — and I have.
Every scar, every setback, every moment I thought I couldn’t take one more step — they all shaped the fighter I became. I didn't choose the battles, but I chose to stand, to rise, to live. This journey has been carved out of stubborn hope, raw faith, and a refusal to surrender to the storms. I’m still here. Still fighting. And every day, I choose to keep going — not just for myself, but for every life that’s been touched by this fight too.
~ Bob Bowers 42-year HIV/AIDS long-term survivor and advocate
NEVER SURRENDER! never forget!
This life hasn’t been easy. But it’s been mine to fight for — and I have.
As I sit here on my last day at 61, I can’t help but reflect on turning 62 tomorrow.
I am a living, breathing miracle.
Unbelievable, but true.
There are milestones that feel too big for words—turning 62 is one of them.
Unbelievable. Humbling. Surreal.
But when I look at the life we’ve built together, at the soul-deep joy of choosing to live each day fully... it’s undeniable.
I’m here.
I’m 62.
Still learning. Still loving. Still asking, What’s next?
And that—
That is a gift beyond anything I ever dreamed.
~ Bob Bowers 42-year HIV/AIDS long-term survivor and advocate
Knowledge is power!
Some helpful HIV/AIDS resources
Aging with HIV/AIDS
"That first piece—a small eagle—happened in the ‘90s at Sunset Strip Tattoo in Los Angeles. I was riding my motorcycle down Sunset Boulevard, my wife on the back, when I casually mentioned wanting a tattoo..."
~ Bob Bowers
Youth HIV/AIDS educator Bob Bowers also known as "One Tough Pirate," is a 42-year thriving survivor of HIV/AIDS. To broaden his message of prevention through education, survival, hope and compassion, he founded HIVictorious, Inc., which was based in Madison, Wisconsin.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the nearly 1.1 million people living with diagnosed HIV in the United States and dependent areas in 2022, 64% were aged 45 and older.
Long-term HIV/AIDS survivor Bob Bowers is 62 years old.
