Category Sports News

Archie Goodburn’s life was changed by a phone call a year ago.

The Scottish 50-meter runner-up had a dream about competing in the Paris Olympics, but his training had been hampered by some unusual circumstances.

Seizures . On his left side, he feels numb. a sense of deja vu.

He had tests, and the results of his scan were due. His phone displayed a missed call from an unknown number when he walked out of his most recent session in Edinburgh’s Commonwealth pool. He returned the call. The following news was devastating.

Goodburn says this month at the family home in the capital, “It was a pretty unlikely time to get a call.”

“I actually contacted my mother first to see if she had heard anything.” She claimed she had gotten in touch with the doctors, but she was unable to contact them.

When I sat down at the edge of the pool, which I’ve trained in my entire life, to discover there is a brain tumor, I’ll never forget.

Goodburn was informed that he had brain cancer. He was 22 years old.

It causes the most cancer deaths in children under the age of 40.

Three “low grade” tumours were discovered after extensive investigation, including biopsy surgery. Given how quickly they had spread through his brain, they are inoperable and impossible to remove.

When an athlete in their best physical condition suddenly has to accept their own mortality, it seems particularly poignant.

There are some potential improvements afoot, but it’s just whether or not they will be made soon enough to assist people like me who may not see their 40s.

The prognosis, according to Goodburn neurosurgeon Imran Liaquat, can range from three to twenty years. Some people live longer. Many don’t, too. There is no cure for false predictions, and there is no cure for false predictions.

The Astro Brain Fund charity claims that brain cancer is the most fatal of all the years lost, but its research only accounts for 1% of the national budget for cancer research since records began.

That is unacceptable to Goodburn. The young Scot is driven, too, by the upcoming battles that will come.

He is also determined to raise awareness of brain cancer and its effects on young people by continuing his training for the World University Games this summer and looking forward to the Commonwealths in Glasgow the following summer.

He is painfully aware that he is one of the few people who have the least time.

He explains, “I’m in the fortunate position where I haven’t been diagnosed with glioblastoma.” I don’t have 12 to 16 months. I’m probably going to have much longer.

“Many people are diagnosed with brain cancer for nowhere near as long. They won’t want to devote any of their time to raising awareness. They want to live each day and make the most of every hour.

Every cheek dries as Goodburn shares his perspective on what he and many others face every day.

He states, “I see the future in different ways and at different times.

There are times when I wake up feeling optimistic and optimistic about the future. My eyes are open throughout and I can recall having brain cancer. My life has reached its climax, which is much earlier than it should have.

This extraordinary young man is relying on the support of his family and friends as he pursues his career as an elite swimmer while campaigning for more funding and raising awareness.

Given that he won silver at the British Championships in April, he will be the clear favorite to defend the Scottish 50m breaststroke crown, which can be watched live on the BBC Sport website, app, and iPlayer, this weekend.

Goodburn may now have to consider more potent forms of treatment, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, options he has managed to postpone so far, which is challenging.

He declares, “I want to continue as long as I can and attend the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.”

I can live a fairly normal life right now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t last forever.

Long-time coach Mat Trodden is watching Goodburn train at The Pleasance alongside Katie, her sister, and fellow Commonwealth hopeful Katie.

He is unable to comprehend how his protege is still getting results from both training and competition. He won the Scottish title within a month of his first procedure. And he set a new record for the fastest course in the world at the end of last year.

Goodburn is not resting there, though. He allows himself to have dreams while facing all the challenging challenges that life has brought him.

He says, “I’m dreaming of bettering myself.” A diagnosis like this undermines the idea that you can improve. We view cancer as a downhill, slippery slope, and in some ways, it is.

However, I have a dream that I’ve done something better than I did the last time I attempted it. When a lot of other things start to ignite the fire in me, that causes a wee fire in me.

My greatest dream is to perform a personal best post-diagnosis. It would be a lot of work to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games. Fingers crossed that the upcoming Olympics are possible.

“There are many things that are beyond my control,” I said. I’ll just keep going with this and remain Archie as long as I can.

A year ago, a poolside phone call changed Archie Goodburn’s life.

The Scottish 50m breaststroke record holder was dreaming of the Paris Olympics but his training had been hindered by some unusual factors.

Seizures. Numbness on his left side. A feeling of deja-vu.

He had tests and his scan results were due. When he emerged from his latest session in Edinburgh’s Commonwealth pool, his phone showed a missed call from an unknown number. He called back. The news that followed was devastating.

“It was a pretty unlikely time to get a phone call,” Goodburn says, speaking this month at the family home in the capital.

“I had actually spoken to my mum first to ask if she had heard anything. She said the doctors had been in touch but she couldn’t get anything out of them.

“It’s a moment I’ll never forget, when I sat down at the edge of the pool – the pool where I’ve trained my whole life – to find out there’s a brain tumour.”

Goodburn was told he had brain cancer. He was 22 years old.

It’s the biggest cancer killer of people under the age of 40.

Further investigation, including biopsy surgery, revealed three ‘low grade’ tumours. They are inoperable and unable to be removed given how they had spread through his brain.

It seems particularly poignant when you consider this is an athlete in peak physical condition suddenly having to come to terms with their own mortality.

“There are some potential advancements on the horizon and it’s just whether or not these will come soon enough to help people like me who are facing the hard reality that they may not see their 40s.”

Imran Liaquat, Goodburn’s neurosurgeon, says the prognosis can vary from three years to 20. Some live longer. Many do not. Accurate predictions are impossible and there is no cure.

Brain cancer is – according to the Astro Brain Fund charity – the most fatal of all in terms of years lost, but investigations into it represent just 1% of the national spend on cancer research since records began.

That, to Goodburn, is unacceptable. Undaunted by the battles to come, the young Scot is driven too.

He is continuing to train for this summer’s World University Games and is looking forward to the Commonwealths in Glasgow next summer, but is also determined to help raise awareness of brain cancer and its impact on young people.

He is painfully aware that many others have significantly less time than him.

“I’m in the fortunate position where I haven’t been diagnosed with a glioblastoma,” he explains. “I don’t have 12 to 16 months. I may have considerably longer.

“Often people don’t get anywhere near as long when they’re diagnosed with brain cancer. They’re not going to want to spend their time raising awareness. They’re going to want to live each day and making the most of every hour they have.

As Goodburn offers an insight into what he, and many others, must face on a daily basis, a tear rolls down each cheek.

“I see the future in different ways on different days,” he explains.

“There are days when I wake up feeling positive and hoping things are going to be out there that can help. Other days, my eyes open and I remember I have brain cancer. There is an end point to my life and it’s much earlier than it should be.”

While he campaigns for more funding and better awareness, this extraordinary young man is drawing on the support of family and friends as he pursues his career as elite swimmer.

He has a national title to defend this weekend and, despite everything, he will be the strong favourite to retain the Scottish 50m breaststroke crown – live on the BBC Sport website, app and iPlayer – given he claimed silver at the British Championships in April.

It is difficult for Goodburn to plan too far in advance, though, especially as he may now have to consider more aggressive forms of treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, options he has managed to postpone thus far.

“I want to keep going as long as I can and be in Glasgow for the next Commonwealth Games,” he says.

“I can live a pretty normal life at the moment but that’s not to say that’s something that’s going to last and it won’t be something that lasts.”

Watching Goodburn train at The Pleasance, alongside sister and fellow Commonwealth hopeful Katie, is long-time coach Mat Trodden.

He cannot quite fathom how his protege is not only still training at a high level, but getting results too. Within a month of his first surgery, he won that Scottish title. And at the end of last year, he equalled his PB at the world short course.

But Goodburn is not resting there. While he tackles head on all the difficult challenges life has landed him with, he is also allowing himself to dream.

“I’m dreaming of bettering myself,” he says. “A diagnosis like this takes away the belief in yourself that you can be better than you were previously. Cancer is something that we look at as a downhill, slippery slope and in some ways it is.

“But I dream of being better than the last time I tried to do something. That lights a wee fire in me when a lot of other things put the fire out.

“Doing a personal best post-diagnosis is a huge dream of mine. Going on to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games would be massive. Fingers crossed I can look towards the next Olympics.

“That depends on a lot of factors outside my control. I’m just going to keep going at this as long as I can and keep being Archie.”