An Olympian is miraculously surviving a devastating cancer diagnosis after being given just six months to live almost a decade ago.
Oscar Chalupsky’s life was turned upside down after doctors broke the horrific news to him.
The 63-year-old world champion paddler was diagnosed with a blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma.
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At the time doctors believed he had just six months left to live with the life expectancy at most being five years post-diagnosis.
“My wife cried a lot, I cried for about a minute,” Oscar, from Durban, South Africa, told Need To Know.
“I had already lived a life fuller than most people do in three lifetimes.
“It was a huge shock, but from day one I decided I would fight it with everything I had.”
The diagnosis rocked the athlete, who competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, to the core.
Telling his family the heartbreaking news was harder than anything he had ever experienced during his illustrious career.
He said: “Telling my children and family was one of the hardest parts.
“You never want the people you love to worry about you.
“Emotionally it was obviously a huge moment.
“In the weeks that followed I had to come to terms with the reality that my life had changed.
“But instead of focusing on what I might lose, I focused on what I could still do.
“It made me appreciate every day much more and reminded me how precious time with family and friends really is.”
Despite being handed such a serious diagnosis at the age of 56, his first priority was to fight back.
Oscar leaned on his sporting background to keep himself going, setting out on his recovery journey from day one.
He said: “The first thought that went through my mind was simply, ‘Okay, what do we do next?’
“I’ve spent my life dealing with difficult conditions in the ocean, so my instinct has always been to face the challenge head-on.
“My goal was simply to get back into the water.”
Incredibly, seven years on from being told he had just six months left on earth, Oscar is still surviving, although he remains in battle with the blood cancer.
The fight has left him with a permanent scar on his head from the number of treatments he has tried.
Some days the toll of the disease and heavy impacts from the different medical procedures make it hard for the athlete to do any type of exercise.
Oscar said: “Cancer definitely changes what you can do physically.
“There are days when energy levels are low and treatment takes its toll.
“The hardest part has been the unpredictability of the disease.
“Treatments work for a while and then sometimes stop working, which means constantly adjusting and finding the next option.
“Physically there have been very tough periods, but mentally I’ve tried to stay focused on remaining positive and moving forward.
“I’ve always tried to stay active whenever possible.
“Movement has been a huge part of my recovery and mindset.
“Even small things like walking or light exercise help me feel stronger.”
Throughout the years, the 12-time world champion paddler has been very open with his journey online whilst also writing a book called ‘No Retreat, No Surrender’.
From day one Oscar has had one goal and one goal only, to live long enough to be cured of this cancer.
He said: “My hope is simple, to stay alive long enough till they find a cure, to keep fighting, keep living fully, and keep inspiring others who are facing their own battles.
“I also want to continue sharing my story through speaking and through my book so people understand that even when life throws the worst conditions at you, you can still choose how you respond.”
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