1996 Dutch Olympic gold medalist Bas van de Goor has been diagnosed with Lymphoma, he announced through his charitable foundation’s Facebook page last week.
The 45-year old Van de Goor says that he’s undergoing testing, and that as soon as it’s clear what kind of lymphoma he has, a plan of treatment will be drawn up.
“This means that for the near future I’m going to fully focus on treatment and cure this disease, meaning that, for now, I’m going to spend less time on the foundation,” van de Goor said. “The activities of the foundation are going to carry on in the mean time, thanks to all the commitment and support of my colleagues. I’m grateful for all of the support that I’ve received so far from many people.”
Van de Goor led the Dutch team to a gold medal in his first Olympics in 1996 with a 3-2 win over rivals Italy. He was named the MVP of those Olympics, and did so again four years later even though his Dutch team finished only 5th.
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops from lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Depending on how far it has progressed, the disease has anywhere between a 62 and 82 percent 5-year survival rate.
The Bas Van de Goor foundation works to improve the quality of life for people with diabetes through exercise and sports.
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