Female Athlete Opens Up About Battle With Cancer, Getting Back on Track at University of Georgia

• A female athlete from Georgia University has opened up about her harrowing battle with blood cancer
• 21-year-old Elsie Igberaese was just 19 when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, with the track and field athlete devasted that she could no longer compete
• After battling cancer for eight months, the young woman is healthy, back on the track and grateful to have survived the ordeal

An athlete from the University of Georgia (UGA) has shared her inspiring story about conquering cancer as a college athlete.

Elsie Igberaese, who is a track and field athlete at UGA, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2020, which is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system of humans.

After eight terrible months, three operations, three rounds of radiation and four chemotherapy cycles, the 21-year-old is finally free from cancer and once again competing on the track and field for her university, Gwinnett Daily Post reported.

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Elsie detailed her heart-wrenching journey in a post on Instagram:

"I was just 19 years old, living life and carrying out my dream of being a collegiate athlete, so this cancer diagnosis was completely devastating. However, through faith in God and the unwavering support from my wonderful family, friends, coaches, teammates and doctors, I was able to get through treatment one step at a time."

The young woman noted that she had already experienced cancer symptoms in 2016 when she was a high school pupil.

“It all started with a swollen lymph node in my neck, and persistent physical fatigue quickly followed,” she said.

Elsie has been cancer-free since July 2021 and says that she is grateful for the simple things in life, like being able to eat breakfast and live life without constant fatigue and pain. The young lady is majoring in statistics at Georgia University and dreams of taking on the field of data science when she retires from athletics.

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Passionate hiker mom from Gauteng set to conquer Kilimanjaro in support of cancer patients

In a previous story, Briefly News reported on a Gauteng-based woman who is set to summit Kilimanjaro, hoping to raise awareness about the medical care gap facing people with cancer and ostomies.

Lerato Monyatsi, who is a passionate hiker and colorectal cancer survivor herself, started her trek on 2 June and aims to summit the mountain within eight days.

The mom-of-one has also started a BackaBuddy campaign to raise funds for the medical care, treatment and support of cancer patients.

Source: Briefly News