A top equine expert who was healthy as a horse now struggles to walk after ignoring intense head rushes that turned out to be brain cancer – with doctors finding a tumour “the size of a ping pong ball” which was “squishing” his brain.
British bloodstock agent Nico Archdale has since undergone surgery to remove a tumour from his brain following the devastating diagnosis.
He is currently in the midst of treatment.
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And incredibly, he has vowed to do a Hyrox fitness challenge next year and has raised tens of thousands for cancer care.
But the 32-year-old tells how, cruelly, illness struck when he decided to take better care of himself and build some healthy habits.
Just as he began to get into a positive routine, Nico, originally from North Wales, realised something wasn’t right.
“I was trying to be more consistent with my routine – staying active, eating well and generally taking better care of myself,” he told Need To Know.
“Nothing extreme, just building good habits and staying in decent shape.
“But I started getting headaches.
“I’d wake up and, as soon as I sat up, I’d get this sudden, intense rush of pain through my head that lasted a few seconds.
“It was sharp but very short-lived, and then I’d feel completely fine afterwards.
“Because they were so brief and I felt completely normal afterwards, it didn’t seem like anything serious.
“It was easy to brush off and carry on with the day as usual.”
Nico, who is now based in Clapham, London, soon saw his headaches gradually become more frequent and easier to trigger, after suffering with them for three weeks.
He said: “Things like coughing, sneezing or even bending over would set them off.
“There wasn’t one dramatic moment when I realised there was a problem.
“It was more a growing feeling that I shouldn’t ignore it any longer.
“A neurologist arranged an emergency MRI scan just a couple of hours after examining me, which, looking back now, I’m incredibly grateful for.
“I was asked to come into the hospital the next morning with my family, and that’s when I was told it was brain cancer.
“It was a huge shock.
“I’d gone from thinking it was something minor to suddenly being told it was a tumour – and not a small one.
“The tumour had grown to the size of a ping pong ball in my head which was squishing my brain to cause the headaches.
“It was one of those moments that doesn’t quite feel real.
“I think I went into a bit of a survival mindset.”
Nico said he was as concerned about the impact on his family as himself.
He has a close bond with his parents and his brother and sister-in-law.
He said: “We are extremely close.
“I have tried to stay as strong as possible, especially for them, because it’s a lot for them to deal with too.
“Quite quickly I accepted that the diagnosis was something I couldn’t change, so my focus became staying positive and doing everything I could to get through it.”
Nico’s diagnosis was delivered at the start of January, with his surgery following just weeks later on January 31.
He is currently finishing six weeks of radiotherapy – being treated five days a week.
He will then have a little break before starting a course of around six or seven months of chemotherapy.
It means the once healthy young man now finds basic tasks difficult.
Nico added: “Hopefully after the chemotherapy I’ll be out the other side of it.
“But physically, it’s been a huge adjustment.
“After surgery and during treatment, even simple things like walking are all I can really manage at the moment.
“Emotionally, it’s been challenging in a different way.
“I have a rare type of brain cancer, and it is not caused by anything.
“The doctors just said I am just very unlucky to have it.
“It’s a tough journey.
“And things are getting a lot harder as the treatment goes on and I get weaker and energy gets drained from me.
“But I am trying to keep positive and too stay strong.
“It’s a long road ahead still.
“Doing very little is actually far more mentally draining than I ever imagined.
“Life is very different at the moment.
“My life has just been put on hold.”
Nico said the mental battle was as tough as the physical one.
He said: “It’s very frustrating being less active.
“It’s actually very mentally draining being able to do very little.
“I’m determined to try and continue with normal life as much as possible and keep seeing friends and family.
“But unfortunately it’s pretty limited with the small amount of energy I have.
“I’m trying to keep positive.
“At the same time, it’s made me appreciate things more and really value the people around me.
“The level of support from my family and friends has been incredible and overwhelming at times.
“I feel very lucky to be surrounded by such amazing, caring people.”
And he was looking forward to returning to work when he could.
He said: “I hope to continue working as a bloodstock agent for the rest of my life.
“And hope to do whatever I can as soon as possible.
“My colleagues and the racing community as a whole have been extremely supportive.”
Nico is planning on completing a Hyrox fitness challenge by the end of this year and has set up a Just Giving page – in which all funds will go towards Macmillan Cancer Support – in order for people to track his progress.
At the time of writing it had raised nearly £31,000.
He wants to try and spread awareness and even reach out to other people who may be going through similar health issues.
He added: “Having something like that to aim for gives me a reason to keep pushing forward, and hopefully show others they’re not alone in this.”
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