British swimmer Archie Goodburn, 22, diagnosed with incurable brain cancer
British swimmer Archie Goodburn recently shared that he has been given the devastating news of having an untreatable form of brain cancer.
The 22-year-old discovered they had three large tumors known as oligodendrogliomas, a rare type of aggressive brain cancer, that cannot be removed surgically. These tumors were found during tests done after competing in the Olympic trials this year.
In the past, he earned a bronze medal in the men's 50m breaststroke at the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships and competed for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
On his Instagram account, Goodburn shared a message saying: "My life took a dramatic turn six weeks ago when I found out I have three brain tumors."
His learning was starting to be disturbed by "unusual incidents" in December of the previous year.
Initially, doctors believed these incidents were just severe headaches, but when he experienced weakness and a tingling feeling on his left side, they suspected he was having seizures.
He went on to say: "The seizures became more severe and happened more often leading up to the 2024 Olympic trials in April, which I had been working towards and preparing for almost my whole life.
I was determined to make my dreams come true, so I kept practicing even when I experienced seizures.
I came close to making the Olympic team but ended up in third place, just a fraction of a second behind the top two spots.
With the challenges now in the past, I delved further into the root causes of these attacks.
In May, an MRI scan showed me what I had been dreading.
Although surgery would have been the best choice, Goodburn remains optimistic that radiotherapy and chemotherapy will be successful.
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He stated that the positive aspect of this diagnosis is that oligodendrogliomas typically have better responses to radiotherapy and chemotherapy compared to other types of brain tumors.
They have a tendency to grow slowly, and it's possible that these tumors have been developing for many years.
Even though he was given bad news from the doctor, the swimmer decided to stay positive.
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He said: "I am youthful, I am healthy, I have an incredible group of supportive friends, an amazing family, and a wonderful girlfriend by my side.
"I am committed to facing this challenge head-on, staying optimistic, and continuing to be myself, Archie."
