Archie Goodburn, a 22-year-old British swimmer, has announced that he has been diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. Goodburn, who won bronze in the men’s 50m breaststroke at the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships and represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, shared the news in a heartfelt Instagram post.
“Six weeks ago, my life changed dramatically when I was diagnosed with three brain tumors,” Goodburn wrote. These tumors, identified as oligodendrogliomas, are a rare and progressive form of brain cancer. Unfortunately, they are inoperable.
Goodburn began experiencing “strange episodes” during his training in December last year. Initially thought to be migraines, these episodes were later suspected to be seizures. He described how these seizures affected him: “They left me with a loss of strength and a numbing sensation down my left-hand side.” Despite these challenges, Goodburn continued to train for the 2024 Olympic trials, determined to achieve his dreams.
In April, he narrowly missed making the Olympic team by just a few tenths of a second, placing third in an event that only had two spots. After the trials, Goodburn sought to understand the cause of his seizures. An MRI in May revealed the tumors he had feared.
Though surgery is not an option, Goodburn is hopeful that radiotherapy and chemotherapy will be effective. “The silver lining to this diagnosis is that oligodendrogliomas generally respond better to radiotherapy and chemotherapy than many other serious brain tumor types,” he explained. He added that these tumors are often slow-growing and may have been present for years.
Despite this difficult diagnosis, Goodburn remains optimistic. He expressed gratitude for his support network: “I am young, I am fit, I have the most phenomenal support network of friends, the best family I could ever hope for, and a fantastic girlfriend by my side. I am determined to take this head-on, to remain positive and to keep being Archie.”
Goodburn’s courage and determination are inspiring. As he faces this challenging journey, his resilience and positive attitude shine through.