Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Cancer Survivors and Olympians: Are They Really So Different?

Yes, I have a great admiration for the Olympic athletes who fall and get right back up. I know they have to wait another four years. But the cancer survivors I have met on my journey who fall and rebound are real heroes to me.


PUBLISHED February 14, 2018

Jane has earned three advanced degrees and had several fulfilling careers as a librarian, rehabilitation counselor and college teacher. Presently she does freelance writing. Her articles include the subjects of hearing loss and deafness, service dogs and struggling with cancer. She has been a cancer survivor since 2010.

She has myelodysplastic syndrome, which is rare, and would love to communicate with others who have MDS.
I am one of the many Americans who love the Olympics, and the winter ones are my favorite. I enjoy the entire range of events from skiing, to snowboarding to ice skating. Ice skating is special to me.

I am truly mesmerized by the gracefulness and beauty of the ice skaters gliding across the ice. I hold my breath each time they do a triple axel or difficult step and groan when they fall. Of course, I cheer for Team USA, but I feel bad if anyone falls. These competitors typically practice from the time they are preschoolers. They have a single goal, and the athletes and their families make supreme sacrifices. Sometimes families move across the country or relocate to another country to find a certain coach or training camp. The skater lives, sleeps and breathes skating. The emotional, physical and financial costs are huge.


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