SAINT-DENIS, France — Pat Woepse smiled. He cheered for his spouse, Maddie Musselman. He frolicked with a buddy on the Paris Olympics.
It was a really particular Saturday. A number of treasured moments away from the fact of lung most cancers.
Woepse was readily available because the U.S. ladies’s water polo crew cruised to a 15-6 victory over Greece. Musselman scored in her return to the Olympics after she was the event MVP when the U.S. gained its third consecutive gold medal on the Tokyo Video games.
Woepse, 30, set a objective of creating it to the Olympics to look at Musselman play after he was recognized in September with NUT carcinoma – a uncommon, fast-growing most cancers. Within the run-up to Paris, Musselman stayed with Woepse when she felt that was the place she wanted to be, and he or she educated when she might – supported all the way in which by her teammates and U.S. coach Adam Krikorian.
They made it. All of them made it.
Russian determine skater Kamila Valieva was handed a four-year ban Monday over a long-running doping controversy.
Moments after the U.S. closed out its opening win, Musselman discovered Woepse within the stands and waved.
“It is only a full-circle second, particularly coming from, , 9 months in the past, with all that is occurred,” Musselman stated. “And I believe it is simply thrilling having him within the crowd for the primary time.”
Woepse and Musselman, 26, are each Southern California natives who performed water polo at UCLA. They had been on the faculty at completely different occasions, however their mutual alma mater performed a task to start with of their relationship.
They met on the January 2022 wedding ceremony of Kodi Hill, one in every of Musselman’s teammates at UCLA, and Ryder Roberts, who performed alongside Woepse with the Bruins. One awkward voicemail later – Musselman missed Woepse’s first name as a result of she did not acknowledge the quantity – they began relationship.
He proposed on Newport Seaside final yr, and Musselman borrowed a gown once they determined to get married on brief discover on Sept. 30.
Woepse had a lingering cough final summer time, so he noticed a health care provider and obtained a chest X-ray. That led to the most cancers analysis.
“Remedy-wise, I am on a scientific trial. … It is going properly,” stated Woepse, who used a cane to maneuver across the aquatics heart. “There’s been some promising outcomes from tumor markers, however nonetheless it is an ongoing battle to cope with.”
The journey to Paris required a whole lot of coordination between Woepse and his docs, who additionally had been involved with Crew USA docs as they labored to make the journey as protected as doable.
“They positively made all of it occur for me. I am very grateful,” he stated.
Musselman, one in every of three daughters for former main league pitcher Jeff Musselman and his spouse, Karen, scored 12 objectives in her Olympic debut in 2016. She had 18 objectives in Tokyo.
She has an extended checklist of memorable experiences on the Video games, however seeing Woepse within the stands was a giant one.
“He instructed me he was within the center, however there’s so many individuals I did not wish to appear to be I used to be distracted by looking for him to start with,” Musselman stated. “So close to the top, I used to be capable of finding him up there. And he was waving.”
Woepse’s presence additionally was uplifting for Krikorian and the remainder of the U.S. crew. Through the years, by his time at UCLA and his relationship with Musselman, Woepse has grow to be pals with a handful of her teammates.
“He is been our greatest fan and our greatest inspiration, by this course of during the last yr,” Krikorian stated. “So to have the ability to have somebody like that (right here), who we draw a ton of inspiration from, it is heartwarming.”
Copyright © 2024 by The Related Press. All Rights Reserved.
