Canadian snowboarding star diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma

MONREAL (Sportsnet) — Canadian snowboarding star Max Parrot has ended his 2018-19 season early after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, he and Canada Snowboard announced Thursday.

The 24-year-old, who was diagnosed on Dec. 21 following a Dec. 11 examination, said he will shift his focus to fighting the disease.

“The first symptoms appeared when I started scratching my skin repeatedly in the fall, it started all the way back in September,” Parrot stated in a press release. “And then, in November, I realized I had a bump on my neck, I had a swollen gland. I saw my family doctor and he sent me for a biopsy. I received the diagnosis a few days before Christmas, confirming that I had Hodgkin lymphoma.”

Parrot won a silver medal at Pyeonghchang 2018 for slopestyle and is a five-time X Games gold medallist. The competitor in Parrot sees this as new type of challenge.

“It was tough to hear the news, and it’s still hard now. But at first, the most difficult for me was to realize that I would have to put an end to my season. When I missed the Dew Tour in mid-December, it was because I had to undergo the biopsy and it was a challenging time because I had never missed a single competition in seven years,” Parrot said. “And it won’t be easy to stay at home these upcoming months because I’m used to travelling at this time of year. But I have a new type of challenge to take on, this is a new kind of competition I must face, and I intend to do everything I can to win.”

Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare form of cancer that is diagnosed in approximately 900 Canadians annually.

Parrot added that he’ll face no restrictions when it comes to physical activity during his treatment, so while he won’t be doing triple corkscrew flips he will still be able to ride his snowboard during the process.

“That’s a good thing, because the more I will be physically active, the better I will be able to recover after my chemotherapy sessions,” he added.