Photo: Bildbyrån
Doctors discovered a lump on one of his testicles and he was forced into emergency surgery. After the suspicions of cancer, Anders Södergren and his wife Lisa began to prioritize differently in life. Several years later, the former skiing star talks about the tough times.
– With the operation, the decision was made by itself – that now we will not wait any longer, he says in Östersunds-Posten.
Anders Södergren47, was for a long time one of Sweden’s best cross-country skiers on the men’s side. He was never one of the sharpest when it came to World Cup competitions, but he was a true championship rider. Two Olympic medals (of which one is gold) and five WC medals are no joke.
Anders Södergren discovered a tumor
Södergren was also one of the most popular athletes during the years he was active. In 2010, he and the other men in the Olympic relay team won – Marcus Hellner, Daniel Rickardsson and Johan Olsson – The gold medal for his efforts in the Olympic Games. A few years later, he put the skis and poles on the shelf. Home WC in Falun 2015 was his last major championship.
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His toughest year in his career was 2008. He was forced to cancel the World Cup premiere in Gällivare because he felt hung over. It turned out to be worse than that. The doctors found a cell change, a nodule, in the right testicle and he was forced to have it removed immediately. Thoughts that he had cancer began to spin.
– For me, it is health that comes first. It feels unreal. From having been completely set on succeeding in the World Cup, I have to change my focus completely. Everything has gone so fast, he said in a press release when it happened.
The cancer suspicions led to something good
Of course, everyone feared that the tumor would be malignant.
– Test answers take time. If it’s benign, you can count on me being back in competition within a few weeks. If it is the malignant variant, I have to undergo treatment and then the whole season can be completed, he said.
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Fortunately, the tumor turned out to be benign and he was quickly declared healthy. It was the starting point for a different life at home with his wife Lisa. They had dreamed of children for a long time.
– We had talked about children before, but the question was when? It’s never quite a good fit if you’re in the middle of your career. Then with the operation, the decision was taken by itself – that now we don’t wait any longer, says Anders Södergren in a new interview with Östersunds-Posten.
A new highlight for Anders Södergren
The daughter Julia came in October 2009. It was a big highlight for Södergren, who had had a heavier period in his life before. In addition to the testicle operation, he had suffered a punctured lung and also had surgery for a herniated disc.
– I learned to appreciate sports even more, to actually be able to do what I thought was the most fun. At the same time, I got a good distance from sports, it was no longer the most important thing. There is a life in general as well, he says.
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In 2012, the couple’s second daughter arrived, Joline. Then he felt he needed to be home more and help his wife with the children. However, it was not an option to stop – until the home WC in Falun 2015 had taken place.
– I still thought it was fun and I was eager for one more Olympics, in 2014. That was the goal then and then it was a WC on home ground in Falun in 2015. I saw it as a natural end to my elite effort, says he.
After his active career, Anders Södergren has worked on the ski association’s marketing side. He is still occasionally seen in advertising and marketing contexts.
How wonderful that life got better after the operation, Anders. Hope you can continue to be healthy. Exciting to read about one of our great Swedish sports profiles.
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