- Jean Mitchell to row for Australia in Paris
- He was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 16.
- Mitchell opened up about his journey to the Olympics
After beating brain cancer to achieve her dream of competing in the Olympics, Australian rower Jean Mitchell is already a winner.
The 24-year-old Victorian is part of a women’s quartet in Paris looking to emulate their gold medal triumph at the last Games in Tokyo.
It’s a new-look team that sees Mitchell joined by fellow newcomer Lily Alton along with Olympia Aldersey and Molly Goodman, who are competing in their third Olympics.
At 16, Mitchell underwent surgery to remove a tumor, followed by radiation and chemotherapy, and was out of the water for two years before fighting her way back and earning selection for Paris.
“It’s amazing, I’m so excited to be here, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time and I didn’t think it would be possible for a while,” Mitchell said from the Stade Nautique in Vaires-sur-Marne, where she will compete for the first time on Sunday.
“I’ve been working hard over the last few years and I’ve finally reached a point where I’m fit, healthy and good enough to make the team, and that’s where we are now.”
Mitchell had to start from scratch and spent just a minute on the rowing machine when he returned to training.
She still has problems with balance, hearing and fatigue and needs MRI scans every six months to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned.
Jean Mitchell (center) opens up about her journey from brain cancer to Paris
Mitchell (second from right) was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was just 16 years old.
But she didn’t expect any different treatment than her teammates.
“I don’t want my path to be easier than anyone else’s, otherwise I’ll feel a bit sad about it, I just like to move on.”
Alton said Mitchell was an inspiration to his team, but not just because of his battle with cancer.
“Just hearing Jean’s story is incredibly inspiring, but it’s also a privilege to be able to paddle with someone who is like her as a person,” said Queenslander Alton.
“The whole team loves her, everyone supports her and surrounds her. I think she’s our biggest asset and I think not only for our boat but for the whole team itself, we’re very lucky to have her.”
Alton, 25, sits across from Mitchell on the boat and said her crewmate was always in her ear with words of encouragement or jokes.
Matching the gold medal feat from Tokyo will be a difficult task.
Aldersey and Goodman bring experience, having been part of the women’s eight in Rio and Tokyo before moving up to the four.
But the new four won silver at the last World Cup in Poland, which was their first race together.
“Not everyone who was going to compete against us here was there, but I think it was a good confidence boost for us,” said Alton, 25.
“We are all extremely competitive in this field, so all we can do is focus on moving the boat as fast as we can and try to do our best race together.”