British breaststroking ace Archie Goodburn revealed on social media today that he has been diagnosed with three inoperable brain tumors.
Goodburn, who raced at the Aquatics GB Olympic Trials this past April, described the lead-up to his heartbreaking diagnosis, indicating he suffered from symptoms as of December last year.
“My training began to be interrupted by strange episodes, the 23-year-old posted.
“These episodes, initially thought to be hemiplegic migraines, would occur during hard training. They would leave me with a loss of strength and a numb sensation on my left side, a deep feeling of fear, nausea and extreme deja vu – I now know that these were in fact seizures.
“These seizures grew in intensity and frequency in the lead up to the 2024 Olympic Trials in April.”
Goodburn placed 3rd in the men’s 100m breaststroke event at those Trials, clocking 1:00.03.
After that competition, Goodburn, who topped the men’s 50m breaststroke domestic podium a year earlier and earned World Junior Championships bronze in 2019, pursued an MRI that confirmed oligodendroglioma.
He describes it as ‘an extremely rare form of incurable diffuse and progressive brain cancer.’ Although inoperable, tumors of this type have historically responded better than other types to chemotherapy and radiation.
Despite facing this difficult situation, Goodburn expresses that he is young, fit and surrounded by a phenomenal support network of friends and the ‘best family he could ever hope for.’
He vows to remain positive and to ‘keep being Archie.’
One of my best friends has been living with an oligodendroglioma since being diagnosed in 2018. The research news is positive. There are now trials happening in the NHS for proton beam therapy which it’s hoped will cause less damage to surrounding tissue than conventional x-ray radiotherapy. The trials are looking for people with oligodendroglioma to take part.
Shocking to hear this and I never realised how traumatic it can be to get a diagnosis like this until I had a close family member diagnosed 6 weeks ago, but what an champ doing that sort of time and only just missing the Olympics with the issues he was already having, hope he gets the results he needs from the treatment to give him as normal life as possible and fingers crossed that he is one of the lucky ones that does make a full recovery
I thought I was having a bad day; then I read this article. Damn. Perspective w/a capital P. May Archie receive all possible good vibes, thoughts & prayers, & well wishes from his family & the swimming community worldwide.
jesus, that’s horrible
praying for a full recovery!
November ‘21 stage 4 metastatic terminal prostate cancer diagnosed. Medicine had a limited life. Didn’t want chemo. January 24 oncologist advised my tumour had disappeared. I am not a doctor. Just an age 75 man who wanted to live. Happy to share my story with Archie. My website pcsowhat.com
Rooting for Archie from the other side of the pond.
This is absolutely heartbreaking. I hope the chemo is effective as possible and he can live the life he deserves.
Wishing you make a full recovery and qualify for 2028 Olympics.