The Belgian athlete Julien Watrin, 31 years old and European runner-up in the 400 meters indoor track, announced today that he will take a break from his sports career to undergo chemotherapy treatment to overcome testicular cancer.
"I was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer. It's a recurrence, since I had surgery in September, although few people knew about it. I felt something strange. So at the end of the season, I had tests. The cancer was confirmed very quickly. Three days later "I was in the operating room. I thought my 2024 season was over. But I was more worried about my life at that moment," the athlete said at a press conference.
With his voice thick with emotion, Watrin commented that the probability of relapse after the operation was 15% in the following four months and that chemotherapy was not recommended.
"We went all out towards the Olympic Games thinking that every three months we would have the little stress of the check-up. The first check-up in December was good. They called me for another check-up. And that was when they noticed a lymph node recurrence. This means that I must start the chemotherapy tomorrow, Thursday," he said.
The athlete will be undergoing treatment for nine weeks, making it "impossible" to reach the Paris Olympic Games, as well as postpone treatment.
"I can't afford to wait," explained the sprinter, who added that "the contradictory thing" is that he is in good athletic shape. Watrin added that he believes he has handled the situation he finds himself in "pretty well, with support from his family and friends."
"I didn't fall into depression. Sometimes, when you have a blow that's too big, you feel crushed and then light. You're in disbelief. It's a little strange," said the athlete.
Aside from his sporting career, Watrin has cultivated his academic profile: he has obtained a degree in industrial engineering and is studying sociology, philosophy and anthropology.
"I am lucky to not only have athletics. I enjoy other environments such as music, reading, philosophy, science. I hope to be in the same mentality when my body is affected" by the treatment, said the athlete.
Especially successful in the 400 meter relay, Watrin won silver at the European Championships held last year in Istanbul and set the Belgian record in the indoor discipline with 45.44 seconds.
The athlete, who also holds the Belgian record in the 400 meter hurdles, with 48.66 seconds, explained that he was preparing "a big coup" for 2024 because he was "at a higher level than last year in Istanbul."
"But, on the other hand, my loved ones are here to remind me that they love me, that there are many other things and that I must take care of myself. The prognoses are good. In the vast majority of cases, people recover after these nine weeks of chemotherapy. There are examples of athletes who have returned to their level. I will go step by step. I go with serenity. I am well accompanied. I trust the medical world," he said.
