US Women's National Hockey Team Member Keisha to Compete in Paris Olympics Despite Thyroid Cancer
US women's national hockey team member Kaley Keisha is showing her fighting spirit
by competing in the Olympics despite being diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
NBC in the US introduced Keisha's story on the 15th.
Keisha, 28, has been a member of the U.S. national team since 2020.
She also participated in the 2024 Paris Olympic Women’s Hockey Qualifying Tournament held in India in January,
helping the U.S. advance to the Olympics for the first time in eight years since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
However, in early May, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer during a routine checkup at an ENT clinic.
It was a shocking news for Kisha ahead of the June Olympics roster announcement. 안전놀이터
I was devastated to be diagnosed with cancer right before the Olympics,
which only happen once every four years, Kisha told NBC.
I've invested my entire life into these Olympics.
Kisha eventually went under the knife on May 17 to have her thyroid and lymph nodes removed.
With the Olympics just two months away,
it seemed like Kaley Keisha's chances at the Games were virtually out of the question after undergoing cancer surgery.
But Kisha didn't give up, joining the U.S. team's training camp in Belgium in late May.
I was in unbelievable shape, Kisha said.
I was able to run right away, and the last time I picked up a stick was on May 28.
He explained, "The problem with thyroid cancer patients is that they get tired quickly,
but I felt like my physical condition actually improved because I had the cancer removed."
Eventually, in early June, my physical condition recovered enough to play again, and Kisha said,
"Everyone around me was surprised at my quick recovery."
On June 11, the United States Hockey Association announced the list of national team members for the Paris Olympics,
and Kisha's name was included among the 16.
However, Kisha will have to take thyroid hormone medication every morning for the rest of her life.
She will also have to maintain a low-iodine diet, and she also had to undergo radiation therapy earlier this month.
Kisha left for the U.S. national hockey team's training camp in Ireland on the 15th,
and will prepare for the first Olympic game against Argentina on the 28th.