If we make a list of athletes who have overcome cancer, it is likely that all or the vast majority of the names we remember are male: Lance Armstrong, Eric Abidal, José Francisco Molina, Lubo Penev, Alonzo Mourning, Carlos Roa, Arjen Robben… This is another example of the imbalance on the enormous platform that the sport offers. While many of us strive to correct this, it’s important to remember other happy stories involving women too.
The most important match of Martina Navratilova’s career was not one of her 59 Grand Slam victories. In 2010, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, a diagnosis repeated in 2023, along with another for throat cancer. During her illness, exhausted from treatment, she practiced yoga. Today, fully recovered, she continues to play tennis and ski.
A month before the London Olympics, Novlene Williams-Mills received the news of her breast cancer. She chose to keep it secret. She won a bronze in the relay competition and immediately returned to undergo surgery, undergoing a double mastectomy. She returned to the Olympics in 2016 and won a silver medal.
An active and healthy lifestyle not only helps prevent cancer, but also improves the survival of those who suffer from it.
Edna Campbell was the 1998 World Basketball Champion. In 2002 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the diagnosis, she continued to play with her team while undergoing treatment. She retired in 2006, leaving behind one of the most inspiring moments in WNBA history.
Chaunté Lowe won a bronze medal in the high jump at the Beijing Olympics. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. After a double mastectomy and five months of chemotherapy, she overcame the disease and returned to the track. In Tokyo she competed in her fifth Olympic Games.
Disbelief at how cancer can invade a healthy body that doesn’t drink, smoke, exercise daily and eat a balanced diet is common in all of their statements. But these habits also become a guarantee of success. An active and healthy life not only helps prevent cancer, but also improves the survival of those who suffer from it, not only because of the obvious physical benefits, but also to have a clear focus on a goal.
Unfortunately, sometimes that isn’t enough.
Breast cancer is highlighted on October 19th, coating everything in a fleeting and vaporous pink coat. But this isn’t Halloween, Black Friday or the Golden Days of El Corte Inglés. It affects one in eight women, making it the most commonly diagnosed and the leading cause of death. It is paradoxical to see how situations that hit us so hard are limited to a 24-hour display of solidarity. This happens with anything that isn’t associated with masculinity, like pride or International Women’s Day. In the limited demand for these topics, the caveman calls for attention: When is straight day? And Men’s Day? The answer is simple: they are not necessary.
The fact that a cause has such a prominent international day reflects a clear urgency for effort, research and investment. While it is true that breast cancer mortality has been reduced by 40% since 1980 and that 9 out of 10 women with an early diagnosis survive, it is not until everyone is saved that the pink ribbon will be a relic of ancient times.
2024-10-20 04:00:00