“I collapsed after crossing the finish line of a triathlon: that’s when I discovered I had a tumor the size of a newborn baby in my belly”

He had crossed the finish line of a very tiring race triathlon race and, a few moments later, he loses consciousness, collapsing to the ground. After rushing to the hospital, the Doctors discovered a soft tissue tumor weighing about five kilos. It is the story of Samantha Boswell53, who managed to recover from the vile disease that had struck her and that she discovered by chance. Also because she had attributed the first symptoms, back pain and swelling, to her intense training program.

And after the bitter discovery in the hospital, doctors had to remove part of her intestine. “Initially I was numb and in disbelief,” Samantha said. I feared for my life and I honestly thought my athletic days were over if I survived. I was like, ‘How do I tell my son?’ I felt like I was letting him and my husband down.”

Despite the shame of an illness that was not her fault, her doctors reassured her. “He told me he could save me,” but it cost her a kidney, an adrenal gland, part of the intestine, and part of the abdominal wall, as well as part of the aorta and psoas muscle. For this reason, Boswell had to spend almost two months in a hospital bedbut she didn’t stop exercising, even with small gestures: “When I started walking to the bathroom and back, I timed myself. I measured the distance with my fitness watch and added a little more each day. It was a triumph to walk a quarter mile in the hospital corridors. It took me a year to be able to walk properly again, but after that, nothing could stop me. I started by sitting on a stationary bike for 20 minutes to get my legs going and from there, I gradually built up my fitness,” she said.

And the return to racing is hers it seemed like an almost natural thing. So, the first trophies also arrived, such as a triathlon for Sarcoma UK, a charity that works with those suffering from the disease.

To share with everyone about his illness, Boswell also wrote a book: ‘Ironman, me and the Big C’. Not even a malignant tumor, therefore, was able to keep the athlete away from sports competitions.

“I love running and competing and being outdoors.: It’s my medicine. I’ve always wanted to improve myself and do my best. I want to decide for myself when to stop competing and not let cancer make that decision for me. My attitude was that if I can’t run, then I’ll swim and cycle. I have to pinch myself when I think back on what I’ve been through. I didn’t think I’d ever compete again. Don’t make excuses for things in your health that aren’t right and be grateful for every day and the simple things in life. I still have a long way to go to reach my dreams and get back to where I was. But I love competing again and I see it as a true blessing. The dream is that the sarcoma never comes back and that I get to watch my boy grow up into a man, while sharing life with my husband,” Boswell concluded.