7 star athletes who went on to set records despite terminal illnesses

The heroes of our selection prove that athletes are not afraid of difficulties and are ready to go to the goal, sometimes in spite of pain. These star champions have been diagnosed with serious illnesses and advised by doctors to quit.

Morgan Hoffman

Disease: Muscular atrophy.

The professional golfer’s career was gaining momentum. He got into the top 10 best players in the world, snatched a solid cash trophy of $ 6 million at one of the championships. Morgan noticed that he gradually began to lose muscle mass. Although the athlete ate well, constantly practiced. And there were no complaints of pain. Hoffman felt good, but the loss of mass scared him very much.

Morgan’s first diagnosis was wrong. Doctors thought he just had a pinched nerve. Re-examination revealed that Morgan has facial scapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. This is a genetic condition that is really difficult to diagnose. In this form of dystrophy, the muscles of the shoulders, face, arms and hands are particularly affected. A person feels slight weakness, writing it off as fatigue and overwork.

Morgan Hoffman on a John Deere Classic, 2016

Medics warned that, alas, the disease is incurable and the athlete’s condition will worsen. By then, Morgan’s body muscle mass was only 20%, which is extremely critical for the average male. In December 2017, Morgan was forced to stop his career and seek treatment. Five years later, Hoffman tried his hand at his first tournament after the break.

“The muscles are definitely getting stronger. It’s certainly not 100 percent, I’m still working hard on my health, doing different sports. But I’m moving in the right direction,” the golfer admitted.

Morgan Hoffman at the John Deere Classic, 2022

Through athletic endeavors (which is one of the recommendations at diagnosis), Morgan has gained up to 40% mass. That’s almost average.

Hoffman, 34, was supported by his wife Chelsea throughout his treatment. They had a daughter in 2022. The golfer intends to continue to compete in tournaments.

“Golf is a game I love and have always loved, it’s ingrained in me. I’m 34 years old, I’m still young. I still have time, so we’ll see how it goes. I just want to play and enjoy myself,” he said.

Sergei Mozgov

Bekhterev’s disease

Paired with Betina Popova, the Russian figure skater won the 2019 Universiade and twice won silver at the Russian Cup in ice dancing. Alas, Mozgov was forced to end his career in 2020.

It turned out that all this time he had been performing without knowing about the serious diagnosis. On the eve of the Russian championship, Sergei did not get medical access. According to the results of the examination, the young man had progressive Bekhterev’s disease. How does it manifest itself? With this disease, the vertebrae fuse, the spine loses its flexibility, a person feels as if in a rigid frame. Doctors immediately warned: one fall on the ice and the guy could be paralyzed.

Mozgov, 29, is no longer involved in big sports, but he continues to lead an active lifestyle, participating in cycling marathons and coaching young skaters.

Sergei Mozgov and Betina Popova at a test skating in Moscow, 2019

Steven Redgrave

Illness: type 2 diabetes

The 62-year-old athlete is a true legend in rowing. Five-time Olympic champion, nine-time world champion, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Knight Bachelor and holder of the title “sir”.

At the age of 35, three years before the Olympics, he found out he was suffering from diabetes. That’s when Stephen seriously considered ending his career. After all, all possible and impossible heights he had reached.

“I had almost convinced myself that my rowing career was over. I was pretty calm about it. I thought I had a pretty good career – six-time world champion and four-time Olympic champion. That’s how I looked at it,” Redgrave recalled.

Stephen Redgrave at the World Championships, 1995

But the doctor did not put bans, and offered to continue to engage in his favorite sport. Yes, Stephen could perform at international championships, but he had to watch his blood glucose level. Then the champion decided: “Diabetes should live with me, not me with it.” He set his sights on qualifying for the Olympics and winning.

Just in case, Redgrave attached a small bag of sugar to the side of the boat. He feared an attack of hypoglycemia. That’s a sudden drop in blood sugar that can lead to a hypoglycemic coma.

The rower didn’t need the life-saving bag. After winning the gold medal, Steven had forgotten all about it! The bag was discovered by accident years later when the legendary winning boat was taken to the museum.

Gary Hall, Jr.

Disease: Type 1 diabetes.

The American swimmer, five-time Olympic gold medalist, and three-time world champion grew up in a family of professional swimmers. His father, Gary Hall Sr. is a three-time Olympic medalist and was his son’s first coach.

“I was born into a family of swimmers. My maternal grandfather was one of the fastest in the world after World War II. My mother was a university swimmer and met my father in competition. Her brother, my uncle, was on the 1976 Olympic team with my father. My father set 10 world records, became the world’s best swimmer twice, competed in three Olympic Games and won medals, and carried the United States flag at the opening ceremonies of the 1976 Games in Montreal. All of my aunts and uncles swam. All my brothers and sisters swam,” Gary recalled.

Gary Hall Jr. at the Athens Summer Olympics, 2004

Nearly 25 years ago, the swimmer was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Doctors strongly recommended Gary to give up sports. But despite medical advice, he returned to the international arena. And won all the championship titles.

Gary Hall Jr. has five Olympic gold medals. His name has been inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame. Gary became the first person with type 1 diabetes to compete and win medals at the Olympics.

The 49-year-old athlete is now coaching and helping diabetes foundations.

“Since I was diagnosed with diabetes, I have used my achievements in sports as a platform to promote patient interests and medical research. I have worked with many research organizations. As one of the fastest swimmers in the world, I was lucky that some of the most brilliant sports science experts in the world wanted to use me as a lab rat.”

Gary Hall Jr. (left) and Scott Erickson (right) at the Buoniconti Foundation dinner, 2014

Alexander Zverev

Disease: type 1 diabetes

The German tennis player was diagnosed with diabetes while he was still very young. At the age of four, his parents learned that their son would have to fight the disease every day for the rest of his life. At school, the future star was bullied by cruel classmates, and Alexander was very embarrassed about his illness. The Olympic champion hid his diagnosis from the public for several years and only admitted it in 2022.

“I was bullied at school because kids don’t understand boundaries. They don’t understand where the fun ends in a sense. I thought about confessing for a very long time, I wasn’t sure if I should do it. In 2022, I got injured, I had a lot of time to think about it. And then the thought occurred to me – there are many parents who are in the same situation as mine. And by my example I wanted to show that anything is possible. And there is nothing to be afraid of,” Zverev commented.

Alexander Zverev at the Roland Garros tournament, 2024

However, the athlete’s confession was prompted by another important fact. Alexander needs more than one insulin injection a day. The referees knew this and therefore always asked him to inject it outside the court before the start of the match. But what to do if the match drags on…..

“During my last match, I was told that it would be considered a bathroom break. I replied, ‘Guys, come on!’ I only have two toilet breaks per match, and sometimes I have to take four, or even five strokes…'” – complained the 27-year-old tennis player.

And once the umpire almost punished Zverev for suspecting a cell phone in his hands (on court any gadgets are forbidden to carry even in a bag). It turned out to be a glucometer.

Now, with the permission of the federation, Alexander can take insulin injections right on the court during small breaks between rounds.

Alexander Zverev at the Miami Open, 2024

Irina Slutskaya

Illness: vasculitis

The legendary figure skater’s titles can be listed ad infinitum. Silver medalist at the 2002 Olympic Games, bronze medalist at the 2006 Olympic Games, two-time world champion, three-time silver medalist at the World Championships (1998, 2000, 2001). She is the first and the only woman in the history of women’s singles, seven times European champion. Irina won all the trophies despite an incurable autoimmune disease.

It all started with a banal fever. Slutskaya wrote it off as a possible cold, but the temperature jumped to 39 suddenly and without reason. Then began to appear bruises and bruises on the body, began to swell hands and feet. In 2003, the figure skater underwent an examination and learned that she had vasculitis.

Irina Slutskaya at the European Figure Skating Championships in Vienna, 2000

“My vasculitis affects the cardiovascular system, kidneys and respiratory system. So I had pericarditis, bronchial asthma – because of this disease. Vasculitis sat in me for a long time and could sit all my life… This disease can be put into remission. It’s in remission, but asthma sometimes bothers me. I get regular tests, I’m on hormones for life. I live only because I take hormones,” – said Slutskaya in the program “Secret to a Million”.

Doctors forbade Irina heavy loads, but she still risked returning to the sport. In 2005, Slutskaya won the World Championships in Moscow, proving that even illness could not break her will and faith in life.

Irina Slutskaya at the Turin Olympics, 2006

A year later, Irina triumphed at the European Championships and became a seven-time champion! At the same time she broke all records! The figure skater’s performance at the 2006 Olympics in Turin brought our national team a bronze medal. And only after that Irina announced the end of her career. Two years ago Slutskaya received disability due to illness.

The figure skater admitted that most of all she was worried that the disease would not allow her to get pregnant. Now the 45-year-old athlete is a happy mom of three children – a son and two daughters.

Daniel Jacobs

Disease: osteosarcoma.

At the beginning of his career, the boxer was called the “golden child”, and after defeating bone cancer, he was nicknamed the Miracle Man. Daniel had a brilliant amateur career with a record of 137 fights in which he suffered only seven defeats. A four-time winner of the New York Golden Gloves and winner of the Junior Olympics National Championship, Jacobs had already achieved all the heights of the amateur ring, and it was time to move on to the professional level.

His debut was in 2007 in a fight against Jose Jesus Hurtado. Now Daniel remembers his first fight with a slight chuckle – without a protective helmet.

Daniel Jacobs before his fight against Canelo Alvarez, 2019

“I was scared to death. When you take your helmet off, put on the little gloves, anything can happen. And being a young man, you’re not mature enough to be that confident.”

But apparently fear only spurred the rookie on, and his first performance marked a victory for Jacobs. Now the young boxer felt more than confident in the professional ring.

One day Jacobs noticed that his legs were going numb. A slight tingling in the morning turned into constant pain. In May 2011, Daniel could not get out of bed on his own… The family urgently took the guy to the hospital. Doctors did him an MRI and came to a terrible conclusion – Daniel has a rare form of bone cancer osteosarcoma.

“It was very, very hard for me to accept the fact that I have cancer. It’s a real shock. Boxing is my life and it is through it that I can best take care of my family,” the boxer said.

Jarrod Fletcher (left) and Daniel Jacobs (right), WBA title fight, 2014

For more than six months, Daniel was missing from fans’ sight. Doctors isolated a large tumor, removed it and repaired the damaged part of his spine. Doctors advised him to end his career. But in the same year, after the operation, the athlete began training.

However, the boxer entered the ring only three years later. On August 9, 2014, Daniel Jacobs defeated Jarrod Fletcher and became the WBA middleweight champion of the world.

“The doctors resurrected me and gave me a second chance. It was a great moment in my life – the opportunity to return to the ring,” commented on his triumphant return boxer.