By David Cromwell

Eric Shanteau had trained his whole life for last week’s Olympic Trials. Nothing could stop him from making the Olympic team.

Not even being diagnosed with testicular cancer the week before leaving.

Up until his Olympic berth last week Shanteau was certainly respected both domestically and abroad yet seemed to be best known as finishing outside the money. Although ranked as high as third in the world in the 200 IM, Shanteau was unable to compete at the world’s highest stage because of names like Phelps and Lochte grabbing the qualifying spots. But heading into last week’s Olympic Trials he was enjoying a resurgence courtesy of a new event: the 200 breast. In fact, so amazing was his progress that he even went into Trials as the top-ranked American.

Finally, shedding the demons that go along with having finished third at the previous Olympic Trials (twice actually) and ignoring another heart-breaking miss (.3 away from qualifying in the 100 breast), Shanteau broke through: he made the Olympic Team in the 200 breast.

So why didn’t he look exhuberant? His teammates chalked it up to the fact that he felt relief more than anything, but even that emotion wasn’t apparent on his face.

Flash forward a few days: called to dinner on the night before he left for the Olympic Training Camp, I thought I was going to hear that two of my best friends, Eric and his girlfriend (2005 World Champs Silver Medalist Jeri Moss) were engaged. I was excited. It was then, however, that I was told of the burden that Eric had carried for a week. They had caught it early, he will be all right but he needs to have surgery...when?

Clearly, he was dealing with a unique scheduling conflict in August.

I had always admired my friend for his perseverance through tough times in his career but it was only then that I came to realize the depths of Eric Shanteau’s character. He wants to swim at the Olympics, he wants to win that gold medal for which he has never had the chance to even compete.

But he wants to live, and live healthily. To continue to brighten the lives of those around him day in and day out. On his face was not even a twinge of self-pity, of “I don’t deserve this.” No one does and he knows it more than anyone. Just as he did so many times in his career, Eric is refusing to blame external factors for his situation. He is looking to see how he can win this race despite all those odds against him.

So when I left Eric he said he was going to take it week to week. To continue talking to his doctors and play the waiting game.

To my knowledge no one with cancer has ever qualified for the Olympic Games. It was the breakout swim of Eric’s life, for more reasons than anyone could possibly have known.

David Cromwell is a columnist for Swimnetwork.com.