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.
from the Olympic Team Update:
Press Conference from Training Camp (7/24/2008)
Can you give us an update on Eric Shanteau and how he’s handling everything physically and mentally?
Reese: Eric has handled this whole situation better than our coaching staff has. We were more worried than he was. He just got the last blood work that will be taken here, and he’s in great shape. They’ve given him the go-ahead to go on to (our training camp in) Singapore and Beijing, basically with no worries. He’s an over-worker. He always works harder than you want, more often than you want. He’s been working great. We did a set today that put him in a better position than he was going into Trials, and he’s further away from the discovery of his cancer. The heat of the moment has been diminished, so he’s focusing more on his swimming now than ever before, and he’s in great shape.
from the Olympic Team Update:
Press Conference from Training Camp (7/24/2008)
Can you give us an update on Eric Shanteau and how he’s handling everything physically and mentally?
Reese: Eric has handled this whole situation better than our coaching staff has. We were more worried than he was. He just got the last blood work that will be taken here, and he’s in great shape. They’ve given him the go-ahead to go on to (our training camp in) Singapore and Beijing, basically with no worries. He’s an over-worker. He always works harder than you want, more often than you want. He’s been working great. We did a set today that put him in a better position than he was going into Trials, and he’s further away from the discovery of his cancer. The heat of the moment has been diminished, so he’s focusing more on his swimming now than ever before, and he’s in great shape.
