Amazing courage and determination

Leukemia Survivor Wins Marathon Swim
By ANDREW DAMPF,
AP
posted: 2 HOURS 31 MINUTES AGO

BEIXIAOYING TOWN, China (Aug. 21) – Dutch swimmer Maarten van der Weijden already fought back from leukemia. An open water fight hardly compared.

Oblivious to the kicking, slapping and pushing going on between the race favorites, the 6-foot-9 (2.05-meter) Van der Weijden won the inaugural Olympic men’s 10-kilometer open water marathon under a steady rain Thursday.

“The leukemia taught me to think step by step,” Van der Weijden said. “When you’re laying in the hospital bed and feeling so much pain and feeling so tired, you don’t want to think about next week or next month, you’re only thinking about the next hour.”

Van der Weijden was diagnosed with leukemia in 2001, came back in 2003 and began swimming faster than before. He now says he has “totally recovered” from the illness.

He commits a large portion of his time to raising awareness about leukemia, and raised $73, 670 with a charity swim in 2004.

“You lay in your bed and just wait,” he added. “It’s almost the same strategy I’ve used here – to stay in the pack, to be patient, and stay easy just waiting for your chance.”

Gradually moving up to the front throughout the race, Van der Weijden won a three-way sprint by taking a more direct line to the finish, skirting just inside the final red buoy to grab gold.

David Davies of Britain and Thomas Lurz of Germany drifted to the outside at the finish and settled for silver and bronze.

“If there is anyone in the field that can beat me, that guy is an absolute legend,” Davies said of van der Weijden. “He’s a great guy. He’s obviously been to the depths in his personal life and to come back is a great story. Lance Armstrong epic.”

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