He was diagnosed with cancer, then won a 24,000-mile sailing race

"Charlie Dalin stood on the bow of his boat,a light wind at his back, the Atlantic Ocean spread out in front of him. He had just begun sailing's most difficult race, a grueling 24,000-mile solo journey around the world called the Vendée Globe. The competition, which takes place every four years, starts with about 40 professional sailors. Nearly half of them never finish. Many capsize. One was never found."

"He was battling gastrointestinal cancer. He had been diagnosed a year before when a scan revealed a 15-centimeter-long tumor on his small intestine. At first, he wondered if he would survive. Then he wondered if he could race. Dalin stashed a supply of immunotherapy pills in his cabin. His hope was that the medication would shrink the tumor while he was at sea and he would have the rest of it removed after the race."

Charlie Dalin set out on the 24,000-mile Vendée Globe, a solo around-the-world race that begins with about 40 professional sailors and often eliminates nearly half of the fleet. Dalin entered the race as a favorite after finishing second in 2021 and redesigned his 60-foot boat to be faster and more aerodynamic. A year earlier a scan found a 15-centimeter tumor on his small intestine. He packed immunotherapy pills in his cabin hoping the treatment would shrink the tumor at sea so he could undergo surgery afterward. He told only his wife and oncologist and kept the diagnosis secret to avoid appearing reckless or frail.

Read at The Washington Post