The power of positive thinking

Triathlon Forum
1

I was just talking to Olaf (Sabatschus) by email. Some of you might read that he was currently fighting cancer and is undergoing radiotherapy after he had surgery…

Today, he made the following comment:

“I will have no swimming at all for 2 months and will start again in january. And only 1h ride in 10 days. It’s great, because when I get back, my body will be fully rested”

He’s probably one of the only persons on the planet saying that cancer treatment is a great way to get rested from training! If this isn’t positive thinking…

2

Help me out Francois. How much of that is just the way Germans think, though?

:wink:

3

Not very german actually…Olaf sees life and triathlon very differently than most of the other german elites. I’m sure Dan will agree.

4

I have a very good friend who is an athlete (runner) and just started his battle with non-hodgkins lymphoma. His bowel perforated last week and he needed emergency surgery. We went to visit him while he was recoving and he said “If Lance can come back and win 7 TdF’s I wonder what I’ll be able to do!” He is planning to be back racing this summer and is contemplating what his post-cancer heroic act will be.

It’s people like these that motivate me to go out and train!

Thanks for sharing your story!

Jodi

5

I think that to beat cancer you have to think positive! I battled leukemia last year and without the power of my mind I would not have won. I remember watching Lance and thinking “if he could beat it so can I”. You look for anything positive to hang onto. Triathlon and what I do really gave me the motivation to fight through it.

I wish Olaf all the best!

6

I have a very good friend who is an athlete (runner) and just started his battle with non-hodgkins lymphoma. His bowel perforated last week and he needed emergency surgery. We went to visit him while he was recoving and he said “If Lance can come back and win 7 TdF’s I wonder what I’ll be able to do!” He is planning to be back racing this summer and is contemplating what his post-cancer heroic act will be.

It’s people like these that motivate me to go out and train!

Thanks for sharing your story!

Jodi
Hey Jodi …hopefully you can pass this on to your friend. I had my bowels perforate twice during my chemo treatments (had three surgeries). I survived it and have been back running, riding for almost a year now. It is tough but he will get through it …I am living proof of that! I wish him all the best and tell him to keep up the fight no matter how bad it may get!

7

Thanks so much! I’ll let him know he’s not alone! Congrats on beating the cancer. There is no doubt that positive thinking is key to recovery.

Jodi