Jake Gibb, an American beach volleyball player, was suspended from the Olympics due to testicular cancer. He was allowed to re-enter the Olympics, but he expected to miss the games during his recovery.
Gibb was devastated to think that the Olympics were no longer an option for him. “The Olympics were out,” he said, “It was a tough dream to let go. The toughest part was telling people and letting them know. Because once it came out of my mouth, it felt real”.
This is Gibb’s second time with cancer. He was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2004. This time, surgery completely healed him without the need for chemotherapy. After a quick recovery, he earned enough points to qualify for the London Games this year.
Gibbs is now a two-time Olympian, and two-time cancer survivor.
“It almost wasn’t a reality to me. I was scared. I didn’t know anything about it, didn’t know how to react.”
Gibbs and his partner Sean Rosenthal finished fifth in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. They are now competing in the 2012 London Olympics for team USA.
“For me to go and put USA on my chest, it means the world to me. It’s something so special,” said Gibbs.
Not only did this brave Olympian survive a second bout with cancer, but the day before he was to have his testicle removed, he learned that his wife, Jane, was pregnant.
“Going through cancer and having my wife pregnant and giving birth while I was on tour, pursuing this Olympic dream, it felt like a heavy load on my shoulders. I realized what matters most to me, and that’s health and family.”
Gibb concluded that he felt like “I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have my friends around me and to play the game I love.”
Follow Jake Gibb's success at the Olympics here.
The information provided on CancerTreatment.net is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. This information is solely for informational purposes and does not constitute the practice of medicine. We encourage all visitors to see a licensed physician or nutritionist if they have any concerns regarding health issues related to diet, personal image and any other topics discussed on this site. Neither the owners or employees of CancerTreatment.net nor the author(s) of site content take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading this site. Always speak with your primary health care provider before engaging in any form of self treatment. Please see our Legal Statement for further information.
