PIER TO PUB A VITAL TOOL IN LIFESAVER’S CANCER FIGHT
JUMPING into the sea and rhythmically clocking up lap after lap has become vital therapy for former paramedic Alistair McCooke.
When the 53-year-old dad of two and stepdad to three, swims endless kilometres, the numb feeling that years of cancer medication has left him with completely disappears.
For 30 minutes, Mr McCooke feels “normal”, he has doesn’t have a care in the world.
The 53-year-old champion surf lifesaver from Leopold was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma — a cancer of plasma cells that affects bone stability — in 2013, aged 49.
He initially had extensive chemotherapy and an autologous transplant, using his own stem cells, which saw him move toward recovery until mid-2015.
In October 2016, Mr McCooke had another round of chemo and a second transplant and spent the final months of the year preparing for a donor transplant of stem cells.
Mr McCooke was in remission and hoped he would be cured, but unfortunately last year fell out of remission.
Ever determined, the Lorne Pier to Pub veteran decided 2018 was the year to set himself another challenge and focus on his fitness.
The dedicated swimmer will undertake the 5km swim on January 13 along with wife Tracey and paramedic mates.
“When you’re fighting cancer you need to set yourself challenges that you hope you can achieve — because then you are fighting what is right in front of you,” he said.
Mr McCooke feels “reasonably good” at the moment but has his ups and downs. He knows he will never be able to work as a paramedic again.
Living with cancer has put his life — and how he lives it — into greater perspective.
“Anyone could step out from the curb and get hit by a bus,” Mr McCooke said.
“But, when you live with cancer you can see the bus coming, you just don’t know when it is going to hit you.”
The dedicated surf life saving volunteer was named Australian Surf Life Saver of the Year in 2003 and was a finalist in the Australian of the Year awards for 2009. His diagnosis “stripped him of his identity” leaving him unable to work and volunteer. This summer he had started doing casual surf life saving shifts.
But cancer has also given Mr McCooke a greater drive to be as fit as possible so he is ready for any treatments that become available.
“Fighting cancer has given
“Anyone could step out from the curb and get hit by a bus. But, when you live with cancer, you can see the bus coming, you just don’t know when it is going to hit you.”
ALISTAIR McCOOKE
me a different mindset, really. It’s placed a greater importance on fitness because learning to take a lot of medication can be a real roller coaster,” Mr McCooke said. “There are side effects that you have to learn to cope with and I found that challenging.”
To take his mind off his limitations, Mr McCooke trains with wife Tracey most days. He is currently on a cancer drug trial that he hopes will enable him to fall back into remission.
“Training just helps me clear my head — it enables me not to think or worry about my own health or my family. When I’m in the water I feel it just revives me,” Mr McCooke said.
For now, one of Mr McCooke’s biggest battles is time. With drug developments always changing and improving, Mr McCooke hopes the current trial will buy him enough time to survive until a new, better drug comes along.
But when he swims in the Pier to Pub, Mr McCooke’s mind will be off the clock.
“My goal for the race is to finish it,” he said.