Anybody else read about this yet? My prayers go out to Eric and his family!!!
Olympic Swimmer Shanteau Has Testicular Cancer
Jul 11, 10:29 AM (ET) Email this Story
ATLANTA (AP) -Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau is heading to Beijing with a devastating diagnosis: He has testicular cancer.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Shanteau said he learned just a week before the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., that he had cancer. His doctors cleared him to compete in that meet and he surprisingly made the team in the 200-meter breaststroke, finishing second ahead of former world-record holder and heavy favorite Brendan Hansen.
Even though Shanteau's doctors have advised him to have surgery now, he's planning to put it off until after Beijing because he doesn't want to disrupt his lifelong goal. The 24-year-old Georgia native will be monitored closely over the next month and vows to drop out of the Olympics if there's any sign is cancer is spreading.
Former Member
Hey maybe this awful event will push him to grab the gold and make one of those special overcoming adversity moments--the Olympics always have a few of those.
I remember when the doc found a lump on me and I had to wait 4 days for a scan--thankfully it was nothing. It's an awful feeling just going over the what ifs and I can only imagine to get the confirmation at a time like this is a real shake up. Poor guy. At least he can look to Lance Armstrong for inspiration and I'm sure any support he may need.
Wow, what timing. Not that any cancer diagnosis can come at a good time, but this is particularly bad.
Good luck to Shanteau. I believe he was third in a couple events at 2004 Trials, now he finally makes the team and has this hanging over him. I hope he can deal with it and swims lights out in Beijing AND, of course, kick the cancer's butt afterwards!
What a nightmare. Even if the cancer itself is not having any impact on him physically, it has to weigh heavy on him psychologically. I can't imagine competing at that level with something like this going on at the same time.
That brings tears to my eyes... I hate to hear this. It seems as though everywhere you turn, someone has cancer. But I'm thinking that since he knew before trials... and going on his performance there, I think he will do great in Beijing. They will have doctors on him 24-7, he is in great hands now. More power to him... my thoughts go out to the Shanteau family.
