Athletes Who Fought Illness and Showed the 'Olympic Spirit'

Korean Taekwondo athlete In Gyo-don. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] "The significance of the Olympic Games lies not in winning but in participating, and what matters to humans is effort rather than success."

Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics from France (1863?1937), defined the 'Olympic spirit' this way. It means that the essence of the Olympics is not victory through competition with others, but the process of overcoming oneself. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, there were athletes who showed aspects of human triumph more valuable than any medal, drawing attention.

Ingyodon (29, Korea Gas Corporation), the representative of South Korea in the men's Taekwondo 80kg category, was diagnosed with stage 2 lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in August 2014 when he was 22 years old. At that time, he was shocked and considered quitting sports. However, encouraged by seniors, juniors, and friends around him, he resolved not to give up and to fight the disease. After undergoing eight rounds of chemotherapy and reoperations, he stood up again. Finally, on the 27th, he won a precious bronze medal on his dream first Olympic stage. After winning the medal, Ingyodon said, "I hope those battling illness see me and gain strength to overcome it well."

Kevin McDowell (28), the U.S. men's triathlon representative, was also diagnosed with lymphoma at age 19 in 2011. At that time, he was a promising athlete who had won a bronze medal at the Junior Triathlon World Championships. He considered stopping training due to the harsh chemotherapy but overcame it with his family's support. Eventually, he earned a spot at the Tokyo Olympics. On the 26th, he finished the men's individual event in 1 hour 45 minutes 54 seconds (6th place), setting a new U.S. record.

Owen Wright (31), an Australian surfer, was enjoying free surfing on a beach in Hawaii in December 2015 when suddenly a giant 5-meter wave crashed over him. He suffered a severe head injury and collapsed due to a brain hemorrhage. After the accident, the aftereffects were so severe that he could barely stand. However, thanks to his younger sister's devoted care, Owen Wright successfully made a comeback in one year. Finally, he won a bronze medal on the Tokyo Olympic stage. He reflected, "During the difficult rehabilitation process of relearning walking and surfing, my friends and family were always by my side."

Rikako Ikee (21), the Japanese women's swimming representative, swept six gold medals at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, setting the record for the most titles by a Japanese athlete. She was recognized as the face of Japanese swimming but was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2019. Starting her battle with the disease, she initially planned to give up the Tokyo Olympics, which were scheduled to open in July last year. However, when the opening was postponed, she was discharged from the hospital and resumed training in May last year. On the 24th, she competed in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay. The Japanese team did not advance to the finals with a time of 3 minutes 36.20 seconds. However, despite the short training period, Ikee swam 100m in 53.63 seconds, achieving the best result within the team.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.