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Canadian Olympic snowboarder diagnosed with cancer at age 24

Canada Snowboard has announced that Max Parrot, Canadian Olympic snowboarder, will be taking a break from competition for the season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

The 24-year-old Olympic medalist and five-time X Games champion was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma on Dec. 21, after undergoing a biopsy on Dec. 11.

<who>Photo Credit: Snowboard Canada

“The first symptoms appeared when I started scratching my skin repeatedly in the fall, it started all the way back in September,” Parrot said in a statement. “And then, in November, I realized I had a bump on my neck, I had a swollen gland. I saw my family doctor and he sent me for a biopsy. I received the diagnosis a few days before Christmas, confirming that I had Hodgkin lymphoma.”

According to Lymphoma Canada, Hodgkin lymphoma is a relatively rare cancer. It accounts for around 0.5% of all cancers and 15% of all lymphomas diagnosed. Each year in Canada, about 900 people are diagnosed with the disease.

“It was tough to hear the news, and it’s still hard now. But at first, the most difficult for me was to realize that I would have to put an end to my season. When I missed the Dew Tour in mid-December, it was because I had to undergo the biopsy and it was a challenging time because I had never missed a single competition in seven years,” he explained. “And it won’t be easy to stay at home these upcoming months because I’m used to travelling at this time of year. But I have a new type of challenge to take on, this is a new kind of competition I must face, and I intend to do everything I can to win.”

Parrot, who hails from Bromont, Que., has put an end to this 2018/2019 FIS World Cup season after one contest, a Big Air event held on Nov. 24 in Beijing.

He says that despite his diagnosis putting an end to the season, he will continue to be active away from the slopes.

“The good news, is that there is no restriction in terms of physical activity,” said Parrot. “Of course, I can’t go out and risk a serious injury, so no triple corks for me, but I will be able to ride on my snowboard. That’s a good thing, because the more I will be physically active, the better I will be able to recover after my chemotherapy sessions.”



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