Brave Smith facing up to third cancer battle
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AVIEMORE Paralympian Dave Smith said he is putting to one side for now the gut-wrenching news that his tumour has returned for a third time so that he can tick the second item off his to-do list.
The London 2012 rowing gold medal winner will be hitting the Alps on his bike from Saturday when he pedals the gruelling mountainous route from Geneva to Nice.
Life has been full of highs and lows for the 40-year-old in recent weeks. He ticked off his first aim of getting back into the saddle for GB performing in the 2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Maniago in Italy. He finished 16th in the men's C1 Road race and 13th in the C1 time trial.
But following his return Smith was informed by medics that his tumour, which he has twice beaten in recent years, had returned. He is to meet with neurologists today to find out the extent of the cancer.
He said: "The past two years has been hell and to finally return to competing for Great Britain and be just a few minutes off the leader's pace then be given this news was really hard to take. It's been a full-time job trying to manage this so I have decided to try and put it into a compartment and deal with it when I get back from the Alps.
"I know I need to face surgery but I don't know yet whether this will be next week or further down the line until I have met with the neurologists."
Smith thanked all of those who have been so supportive when he has, not surprisingly, been to some dark places given his health battles.
He had earlier said: "Last year was incredibly difficult for me and I needed time away to work with psychologists to not only accept the damage the last surgery caused but also the nature of the tumour I have.
"I have always been mentally strong, maybe this was a downfall as I bottled up many emotions and never asked for help. However I wasn't prepared for real life with the disabilities the last surgery had left me with both mentally and physically. I cried myself to sleep most nights and was completely lost. I felt I had no purpose and nothing to live for.
"It's what we do at these times that truly define us, I was always too proud to ask for help until I finally broke last year.
"Seven months of psychology and finding my purpose again saved my life.
"I'd two goals when I was in hospital, one was to compete for Great Britain again, which I am proud to say I achieved this year, competing in three World Cups and the World Championships.
"The second was to cycle across the Alps, from Lake Geneva to Nice, I wasn't sure this was ever going to be possible as I couldn't even get on a bike."
