Martina Navratilova is known for her fierce attitude as a tennis player on the court. But that is not all she is. Her fierce attitude is not restrained to just the court. She has also shown time and again that she is a tough one with her rigorous battle against cancer, and not just one or two. The Czech-American tennis legend had to overcome three life-threatening diagnoses.
She was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer at the same time. And for any person, this is the worst nightmare ever. But with the strong personality she has, Martina fought it all and overcame the disease. Recently, she shared with the world how her journey has been battling two different cancers and also highlighted the importance of screening.
Martina Navratilova opens up about her journey with cancer treatments and screening
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We all are aware of the tough phase Martina went through with her consecutive treatments for cancer. The doubt strike hit her, but she remained strong and fought off the cancer with her undying spirit. And just recently, she opened up to TODAY about how it felt when she heard the news and how it made her more cautious about her health.
Tennis legend @Martina Navratilova opens up about her multiple cancer diagnoses and talks about the importance of getting screened. Hologic CEO Stephen MacMillan joins the conversation and shares some of the pioneering 3D technology being used to help detect diseases. pic.twitter.com/kRKaoOfFaR
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 2, 2023
Martina said, “First, I was diagnosed with throat cancer and when they were looking to find where it was, that is when they found breast cancer. 2 totally different cancers, unrelated to each other, no genetic relation. I have added 3 different cancers now. And I felt am I so lucky? Or unlucky?”
Further, the 59-time Grand Slam champion shared how her first cancer diagnosis made her more diligent towards screening. She also further urged women to take care of themselves like they do for everyone else.
Not just Martina, but her long-time on-court rival and best friend, Chris Evert, was also diagnosed with cancer. In Martina’s journey with cancer treatments, Chris has been a constant support as Martina was hers. Martina shared how Chris and her ‘champion mentality’ helped them fight this deadly disease.
Martina channels Chris Evert’s support in battling cancer
The tennis legend shared how Chris Evert and she went through the same thing emotionally and physically with cancer. Chris Evert was also diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021. Martina added that it was their champion mentality that helped them get through this.
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She shared that both of them would speak to each other, try to stay positive in the moment, and ask each other to focus on the solution instead of the problem. And that is what helped them get through the trouble they were facing.
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Fortunately, both tennis legends are now cancer-free and we couldn’t be happier for them!
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