Archie Goodburn Shares Brave Journey with Brain Tumors

Archie Goodburn, a British swimmer has disclosed that he has been diagnosed with inoperable brain tumors. Before the Olympic trials, 23-year-old Archie Goodburn from Edinburgh started experiencing numbness and seizures. Subsequent tests following the trials revealed three large oligodendrogliomas, a rare type of cancer affecting the brain and spinal cord.

Due to the nature of the tumors, doctors cannot surgically remove them and Goodburn now faces treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy to manage them. Archie Goodburn recently shared on Instagram that his life underwent a profound change six weeks ago when doctors diagnosed him with three brain tumors.

Initially, he mistook the episodes in December 2023 for hemiplegic migraines, but they actually turned out to be seizures. These seizures caused weakness, numbness, fear, nausea and intense déjà vu during intense training sessions. “After the trials, I investigated further to understand what caused these attacks. An MRI in May finally confirmed my worst fears.”

Goodburn competed for Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. He also secured a bronze medal in the men’s 50m breaststroke at the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships. He expressed his determination to undergo medical treatment to combat the tumors.

“The positive aspect of this diagnosis is that oligodendrogliomas typically respond better to radiotherapy and chemotherapy compared to many other serious brain tumor types,” he noted. “I am young, fit, and have an incredible support system of friends, the best family I could wish for, and a fantastic girlfriend by my side. I am resolved to face this head-on, stay optimistic, and continue being Archie.”