A Candian Olympian won a gold medal Monday three years after being diagnosed with cancer, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Max Parrot, a 27-year old member of the Canadian slopestyle snowboard team, won the gold medal yesterday on the third anniversary of his cancer diagnosis, the AP reported.
Parrot first noticed a lump in his neck a few weeks after finishing second at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, and he was later diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, the AP reported. He underwent 12 chemotherapy treatments over six months.
“I went through hell,” Parrot told the AP. “It was the first time I ever put my snowboard in the closet. I felt like a lion in a cage.”
Parrot’s gold medal on Monday marked his 15th victory at the Olympics, World Cup or Winter X Games, according to the AP. Of his 15 wins, 11 of them have reportedly come in big air competitions, and Parrot has another opportunity to win a gold medal on Feb 15.
“By far, the biggest run of my entire career,” Parrot said about Monday’s win.
Nearly nine in 10 people diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma have a five-year survival rate, according to the American Cancer Society.
“It definitely changed me as a person, and as an athlete, as well,” Parrot told the AP. “As a person, I used to take life for granted before and I don’t anymore.”
“So, every time I strap on my snowboard, I appreciate it so much more than before,” Parrot said, the AP reported. “I appreciate being able to do my passion every day.”
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