Atheletes who have overcame

IrishMike

Ok before someone voices it, this is somewhat self-serving as its my kid. My youngest daughter despite being a severe asthmatic her entire life has been a long distance runner since high school, finishing 10th in the state in cross country as a freshman. She was forced to curtail her running after that due to her illness but never gave up. She recently finished 330 out of 39000 runners in the Chicago Marathon (under 3 hours), but this is her best result this year having just won the Rose Bowl Half-Marathon in a record time. race results

Have a happy holiday everyone, even you Eagle fans.

K

Congrats. It's always great to see people overcome disadvantages set before them to chase their dreams.

bigreddog

Congratulations! Its nice to hear a feel good story among all the negative news that dominates the news.
Your Daughter sounds like a very special person. Good Luck on her future endevours.

Happy Holidays
John

Darin

Cool story Irish Mike, thanks for sharing. Congrats to your daughter.

MeteoriteGuy

Nice.....thanks for sharing.

goose3

that's impressive!

I doubt I could ride a bike that far much less run!

FanOf390

Jim Abbott has to be near the top of the list of "Athletes who have overcome" ...

Jim Abbott's story

rbdjr1

Mike your daughter's story, "warms' the heart"!

Bless her with a "long happy life"!

rd

rbdjr1

Lowell fighting cancer battle one day at a time!

July 9, 1999

By Adam Minichino
Assistant Sports Editor

ATLANTA -- Like every prospect, Mike Lowell just wanted a chance.
But when the New York Yankees signed World Series MVP Scott Brosius to a new three-year contract last year, Lowell had to wonder if he would ever get his opportunity to prove he could play third base at the Major League level.
His numbers at Class AAA Columbus in '98 -- .304 average, 26 home runs and 99 RBIs -- indicated that he was apparently ready to make the next step, but the Yankees opted for a veteran over an unproven youngster.
So when the Yankees traded Lowell to the Florida Marlins for a pair of pitchers on Feb. 1, he looked at the trade as a chance for a fresh start on his career. What could be better? The San Juan, Puerto Rico, native, who now lives with his wife in Coral Gables, Fla., was getting an opportunity to play in front of his family and friends.
Less than three weeks later, Lowell's plans were put on hold by a startling discovery. While undergoing a physical on Feb. 19, Lowell was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
He was 24.
''It was definitely a shock because I never felt pain or discomfort,'' said Lowell, who turned 25 on Feb. 24. ''There were no signs of anything being wrong, so I think that was the biggest shock. It definitely put life into perspective pretty quickly. But the last two months have definitely been a true test of patience because desire-wise I wanted to get back onto the field as soon as possible, but strength-wise my body didn't allow me to do what my mind wanted to do. In that sense it was a plus because I just had to take it day-by-day. It is a cliche, but that was what I had to do.''
Lowell underwent surgery Feb. 21 and had his testicle removed. He then went through three weeks of radiation treatment that he said, ''knocked him out.'' He said he lost about 10 pounds in three days but slowly regained the weight.
So as Lowell's body learned to deal with the radiation, he went back to the diamond. He started the season at Class AAA Calgary, where he went 4 for 12 in four games before Florida recalled him on April 13.
A day later, though, Lowell's comeback was delayed by soreness in his right shoulder that forced the Marlins to send him to their extended spring training facility in Melbourne, Fla., for a couple of weeks.
''The only aerobic type of activity you do in baseball is throwing, so they chalked it up to the little muscles in my rotator cuff couldn't handle normal throwing and it just swelled up and I developed tendinitis,'' Lowell said. ''That was a process in itself. I had to work my way through slowly throwing 10 balls and then 15 and seeing when I could be game ready. It took another three or four weeks and my patience was running out. Mentally it was tougher than anything else.''
But Lowell maintained his focus and was recalled by the Marlins on May 28 after starting third baseman Kevin Orie was placed on the disabled list with a pulled left groin.
Since his recall, Lowell has played in 30 games and is hitting .268 with two home runs and 12 RBIs. Lowell has gotten a chance to play every day because Orie was placed on the DL again on July 3 with a partially torn left quadriceps muscle.
And while Lowell knows he has plenty of work ahead of him, Florida manager John Boles said he has been pleased with Lowell's approach to the game since his return.
''He had a rough period for a while, and now he is doing extremely well,'' Boles said. ''He is getting a chance to play every day now that Kevin Orie is on the disabled list and he is making the most out of his opportunity.''
Boles said Orie is expected to return following the All-Star Game break and while that may affect his playing time, Lowell said he has dealt with challenges throughout his career.
''As a 20th-round pick, nothing was handed to me in the minor leagues,'' Lowell said. ''I had to battle every year and I went through that with the Yankees. It was nothing really new, but I think if I relax and let all of my talents do everything I can be a productive player. I hope I can develop into a player that can contribute in the middle of the lineup. I think that is the goal. If you're not, I think you are selling yourself short.''
Risk factors
According to the American Cancer Society, there are certain risk factors that make a person more likely to develop testicular cancer. However, even if a man does have one or more risk factors for the disease, it is impossible to know for sure how much that risk factor contributed to developing the cancer. Many men with testicular cancer don't have any of the known risk factors.
Yet statistics show that the cancer usually occurs between the ages of 15 and 40 and is most prevalent among white Americans. The American Cancer Society estimates that this year about 7,400 new cases of testicular cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.
Lowell said there is no history of testicular cancer in his family, which is a good sign. But he did say his grandmother died from a form of cancer three years ago.
Another positive about Lowell's chances for recovery is that studies show that the cure rate exceeds 90 percent in all stages. In fact, the five-year survival rate for stage I and stage II testicle cancer is more than 95 percent.
And since his cancer was caught at such an early stage, Lowell is confident about his prospects for a healthy future and is not worrying about what could happen if the cancer resurfaces.
''I am not a big what-if guy,'' Lowell said. ''There is always the chance. I am still monitored, like every two months I get blood samples, but the percentages are low, but I look at it as it was pretty low getting it in the first place, so you're never cleared.''
Lowell may never be cleared, but he said the discovery of his cancer was a blessing and that it has given him a new perspective on life.
''At first I was mad that the doctor found it because it kind of put a dent in my plans,'' Lowell said. ''But when you look at it from a non-baseball standpoint it kind of changes things. There are a lot more important things to do than just baseball and I appreciate that they found it. They eliminated a lot of possible hassles in the future. I will be honest with you that it was a pain in the ass going through what I did, but I think that the worst is behind me. I don't feel like it is affecting me anymore. I just want to be a ballplayer.''
The road back
Rick Slate may not be a drill instructor, but it's the Marlins' strength and conditioning director's job to make sure that the players are physically ready to play every day.
But in his seven years with the team Slate never worked with a player recovering from cancer, so that's why Lowell's ordeal is a learning experience for him, too.
''The verdict is still out on what he can do,'' Slate said. ''The doctor said he can go back to work, but the masses of people who go through chemo(therapy) are nine to five working people, not professional athletes, so we don't really know what he can tolerate and to what level.''
As a result, Slate said the Marlins may have accelerated Lowell's comeback too quickly and that may have contributed to the tendinitis in his shoulder.
Nowadays, Slate said finding time for Lowell's conditioning drills is a little tougher, especially since he is playing regularly. But Slate said he has noticed an improvement in Lowell's stamina.
''We started off and he was just doing one set,'' Slate said. ''We were just trying to get him some muscular endurance where he could do one good set, with weight he could handle, with good technique, with good range of motion for a set of 15. We were finding out with certain lifts that he was extremely fatigued and other lifts he was fine.
''The main thing is being consistent,'' Slate said. ''We have a baseball program and the thing that he has done a real good job with is getting his lifts in when he can get them in.''
Catcher Jorge Fabregas, one of Lowell's closer friends on the team, said he has noticed an improvement in several areas of Lowell's game.
''He is not at full strength, but he has really picked it up the last couple of weeks,'' Fabregas said. ''I think he is coming around, getting his strength back and getting his swing back the more he plays. I think we are seeing the real Mike Lowell that they traded for. He is a hell of a player.''
That's how Lowell approaches the game today. He admits he doesn't like talking about his cancer anymore and he would rather be known as Mike Lowell the baseball player, not Mike Lowell, testicular cancer survivor.
''From my approach at the plate I am happy where I am,'' Lowell said. ''I think I am seeing pitches well and I am getting pretty good pitches to hit. I am being selective. The consistent strength still isn't there, but by no means does that mean you can't be productive. You can still put a good swing on it. It is just that the consistent power that I am used to playing with isn't there.''
Lowell said he notices flashes of power in batting practice, but he said this off-season will be the key for him. Since he didn't have a spring training to get ready for this season, Lowell said he will work hard this off-season to come back stronger and, he hopes, prepared to claim the starting third base job in 2000.
''He has done it at every level and the type of guy that he is and what he has been through and what he has already been able to accomplish, just through being diagnosed, going through radiation, going to spring training, having the shoulder injury and then going to Triple A, he has got some will and desire that you and I will probably never know,'' Slate said. ''I am sure in the long run that the Mike Lowell that the Marlins traded for will be the Mike Lowell that we're excited about.''


rd