A woman who collapsed moments after finishing a triathlon initially thought the lump in her belly was simply due to her age, but it was a tumor larger than a newborn’s.
Samantha Boswell, from Bromsgrove, near Birmingham, was near the peak of her athletic career, having already become an award-winning triathlete, before her world was turned upside down.
During a gruelling Ironman UK challenge, the 53-year-old sports masseuse felt a sudden, sharp pain in her abdomen, which quickly became “unbearable”, and she collapsed after passing the finish line.
After the event, she noticed a lump in her belly, which after several scans, was confirmed to be a retroperitoneal sarcoma, a cancerous tumor weighing a whopping 11 pounds, larger than the average newborn.
Following her diagnosis in August 2022, emergency surgery was performed to completely remove the tumor.
Samantha Boswell, 53, from Bromsgrove, near Birmingham, was near the peak of her athletic career, having already become an award-winning triathlete, before her world was turned upside down.
“At first I was paralyzed and couldn’t believe it,” she said.
‘I feared for my life and honestly thought my sporting days were over if I survived this.
“And then a thought immediately struck me: how do I tell my son?
‘(I was afraid) of not being close to him and not being able to see him grow.
‘I felt like I was letting him and my husband down.
‘It was difficult for me to accept (the size), but my surgeon was very confident from the beginning that he could save me.
“I went from constantly trying to be positive to just feeling terrified.”
During a gruelling Ironman UK challenge, the 53-year-old sports masseuse felt a sudden, sharp pain in her abdomen, which quickly became “unbearable”, and she collapsed after passing the finish line.
After the event, she noticed a lump in her belly, which after several scans, was confirmed to be a retroperitoneal sarcoma, a cancerous tumor that weighs a whopping 11 pounds — larger than the average newborn.
Ms Boswell, who initially suffered from back pain and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, thought the lump was simply due to her age and other symptoms due to her active lifestyle.
But after his aforementioned diagnosis in August 2022, emergency surgery was performed to remove the tumor completely.
Due to his size, he also had to lose a kidney, an adrenal gland, part of his intestine and part of his abdominal wall, as well as part of his aorta and psoas muscle.
Retroperitoneal sarcomas often cause the abdomen to enlarge; telltale signs include a lump in the abdomen, a dull ache in the abdomen or back, and severe pain with bleeding, according to Sarcoma UK.
Data suggest that about 15 percent of all soft tissue sarcomas are located in the retroperitoneum.
Around 3,000 patients are diagnosed with soft tissue sarcomas each year in Britain, while the number is thought to be three times higher in the United States.
Surgery is usually the main treatment for cancer and may involve removing parts of the surrounding organs.
Ms Boswell, who initially suffered from back pain and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, thought the lump was simply due to her age and other symptoms due to her active lifestyle. But after her aforementioned diagnosis in August 2022, she underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumour completely.
Following her surgery, Ms Boswell spent the next two months recovering in hospital, but was determined not to give up and began taking baby steps towards training again.
‘In the hospital, when I started walking to the bathroom and back, I would time myself.
‘I would record the distance on my sports watch and add a little more each day.
‘It was a triumph to walk a quarter mile through the hospital corridors.
‘It took me a year to be able to walk properly again, but after that, nothing could stop me.
‘I started by sitting on a stationary bike for 20 minutes to get my legs moving and from there I gradually improved my fitness.’
Following her surgery, Ms Boswell spent the next two months recovering in hospital, but was determined not to give up and began taking small steps towards getting back into training.
Now, he is training for the next race and has also written a book called: Ironman, Me and The Big C, to share his journey and inspire aspiring triathletes, as well as give hope to anyone facing a similar diagnosis.
She began competing again this year and has since completed a triathlon for Sarcoma UK, a charity working with those suffering from the disease, in which she came first as a female.
She began competing again this year and has since completed a triathlon for Sarcoma UK, a charity working with those suffering from the disease, in which she came first as a woman.
Now, he is training for the next race and has also written a book called: Ironman, Me and The Big C, to share his journey and inspire aspiring triathletes, as well as give hope to anyone facing a similar diagnosis.
Ms Boswell added: “I really love what I do.
‘I love running, competing and being outdoors – it’s my medicine.
‘I’ve always wanted to improve myself and do the best I can.
‘I want to decide on my own terms when to stop competing, not let cancer make that decision for me.
‘My attitude was that if I couldn’t run, then I would swim and cycle.
‘I have to pinch myself when I look back and think about everything I’ve been through.
‘I didn’t think I would compete again.
‘Don’t make excuses for things that aren’t right with your health, and be thankful for each day and for the simple things in life.
‘I still have a long way to go to achieve my dreams and get back to where I was.
“But I love competing again, even more than before the diagnosis, and I consider that a real blessing.
‘My dream is that the sarcoma never returns and I can see my son grow up and become a man, while sharing my life with my husband.’
Kerry Reeves-Kneip, director of communications and fundraising at Sarcoma UK, said: “Sam’s achievement is nothing short of inspiring.
‘Imagine facing the shock of a 5kg sarcoma diagnosis, followed by major surgery that included the loss of a kidney.
“However, Sam not only recovered, but pushed himself to the limit to compete in one of the most demanding sports in the world. His resilience and determination are truly remarkable.”
