U.S. women’s hockey player Carli Kiesha is fighting to compete in the Olympics after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

NBC introduced her story on Friday.

The 28-year-old has been a member of the U.S. national team since 2020.

She competed in the women’s hockey qualifying tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in India in January, helping the U.S. qualify for the Olympic Games eight years after Rio de Janeiro 2016.

But in early May, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer during a routine checkup at an ENT clinic.

The news was devastating for Keesha as she was set to be named to the Olympic team in June.

“I was devastated to be diagnosed with cancer right before the Olympics, which is every four years,” she told NBC, “because I’ve spent my whole life working towards this.”

On May 17, she went under the knife to have the cancerous thyroid and lymph glands removed. With the cancer surgery just two months away from the Olympics, it seemed as though her chances of competing in the Games were effectively over.

But she didn’t give up, joining Team USA’s training camp in Belgium in late May.

“I felt unbelievably good,” she says, “I was able to run right away, and the first day I picked up a hockey stick again was May 28th.”

“The problem with thyroid cancer patients is that they get tired quickly, but I felt stronger because they removed the areas where the cancer had metastasized,” he explains.

Eventually, she was well enough to play again in early June, and “everyone around me was amazed at how quickly I recovered,” she said.

On June 11, USA Hockey announced its roster for the Paris Olympics, and Keesha’s name was among the 16 players.

For the rest of her life, Keesha will need to take thyroid hormone medication every morning. She also has to maintain a low-iodine diet, and earlier this month she underwent radiation therapy.

She traveled with the U.S. national hockey team to Ireland on Aug. 15 and will be ready for the first game of the Olympics on Aug. 28 against Argentina. 토토사이트 순위