NOT EVEN CANCER CAN STOP ERIC
AN 83-year-old Gold Coast cancer survivor and triathlete says he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon, vowing to defend the Robina Triathlon title he recently won in one of multiple events he is eyeing off in the coming 12 months.
Gold Coast resident Eric Wilson overcame an 18month battle with prostate cancer to win the 75-plus age category of the Robina Triathlon, completing the 400m swim, 16km bike ride and 4km run super sprint in a time of 1 hour 40 minutes and three seconds.
Wilson was diagnosed with cancer in late 2016 and despite undergoing multiple bouts of gruelling radiation therapy and hormone injections he continued to train about six times a week in the lead-up to the Robina Triathlon, on January 14.
“It pegs you back a bit but I’m not the sort of guy to give up,” Wilson said.
“The main problem with the injections was that you come out in hot sweats day and night so it interrupts your sleep and rhythm.
“Your energy is sapped somewhat but you make do. “It was a test for me.
“It was a hard and hot day, very humid but I finished and I’m still alive.
“I didn’t think I’d win anything though. I went home straight after the race and had no idea.”
Wilson’s doctors recommended he try to stay fit throughout the treatment and the man who competed in triathlons throughout the 1980s decided to get back in to it.
He managed to swim 2km in the pool on his birthday on December 6 last year and plans on adding another 500m to that total on the same day this year as one of two goals he is striving to achieve.
“I have two goals this year,” Wilson said.
“One is to swim 50 laps on my birthday in December and the other is to take on the Robina Triathlon again next January.
“Later this year I might do another couple of triathlons too.”