Figure skater Dorothy Hamill has defeated tough Olympic competitors, endured two divorces, gone through bankruptcy and fought an ongoing battle with seasonal depression. This week the 51-year-old announced her absence from the next several Broadway on Ice performances because she is being treated for breast cancer.
Fortunately for her and for many women, breast cancer is not the automatic death knell it might once have been. Hamill's representative tells reporters that her cancer has been caught at an early stage, which makes her prospects even better.
The figure skater has been a strong advocate for charitable causes, including the American Cancer Society, throughout her career, and her fan base remains strong more than 30 years after she won Olympic gold. She's planning to be back at work as soon as possible, and I expect she'll also take the opportunity to share her experience as a way of advocating for regular mammograms and early detection. I know I'm pulling for her -- just as I did as a 10-year-old cheering in front of the TV in 1976. (Photo: Paul Shannon)
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