U.S. Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau cuts through the water like a hot knife through butter.
There's not much that can slow him down, not even cancer.
Shanteau was diagnosed with testicular cancer one week before the Olympic trials in 2008. He decided to defer treatment for testicular cancer until after his Olympic competition back in Beijing. Although no one can put themselves in another person's position, the consequence of this decision could not be greater. But fortunately for Shanteau, his cancer was detected early on.
Overcoming cancer is a daily reminder to the 25-year-old swimmer of what he's had to endure. Representing Longhorn Aquatics, Shanteau continues to rack up first place finishes including a few more at this past week's Grand Prix of Austin at the Joe Jamail Swim Center at the University of Texas campus.
"It's overwhelming and that's an understatement. You try and describe it and put it into words, but unless you sit in a doctor's office and he tells you that you've got cancer, you will never know what I mean," he said.
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Overcoming cancer
U.S. Olympic Swimmer Eric Shanteau made a huge decision last year to postpone surgery to remove cancer, in order to pursue Olympic glory.
 
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With plenty of health and emotional distractions weighing down on him, Shanteau placed second in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Olympic Trials, which guaranteed him a spot on the U.S. Olympic swim team.
"As I told him, 'if you were my son you would not be going to the Olympics,'" UT men's swim coach Eddie Reese said. "None of us knew what it took out of him to do what he did last year, knowing that he had cancer and to have the cancer at work in his body. He didn't swim nearly as well as he is going to swim."
Shanteau said deferring his surgery to remove the cancer after his Olympic competition is not something that he would recommend to others.
"With any type of cancer, the earlier you catch it, the better survival rates there are," he said.
Despite swimming his fastest time ever in the 200-meter breaststroke, Shanteau returned to the U.S. without a medal around his neck, but the albatross of ridding his body of cancer. He underwent successful surgery on August 27 of last year to remove the cancerous testicle and is now declared cancer free.
"He has just become an outstanding young man. I think he has become a great spokesman for swimming and for cancer research," Longhorn women's swim coach Kim Brackin said. "I love the fact that he's been able to push through it and stay positive the whole way."
U.S. Olympic medalist and former Longhorn, Aaron Piersol said Shanteau has overcome a giant hurdle and is swimming better than ever.
"He's healthy now and he's swimming better now than ever. Honestly, we never even talk about it anymore for the most part," Piersol said.
Shanteau said cancer shouldn't mean the end of the road.
"When you think of cancer, you don't have to think of death and all the terrible things. It's a terrible disease but it doesn't have to mean life is over," he said.
