SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — 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. Just a few treasured moments away from the truth of lung most cancers.
Woepse was readily available because the U.S. girls’s water polo group cruised to a 15-6 victory over Greece. Musselman scored in her return to the Olympics after she was the match MVP when the U.S. received its third consecutive gold medal on the Tokyo Video games.
Woepse, 30, set a purpose of constructing it to the Olympics to look at Musselman play after he was identified 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 may — supported all the best way by her teammates and U.S. coach Adam Krikorian.
They made it. All of them made it.
“This was my greatest purpose, with every part being so unknown,” Woepse advised The Related Press. “So fairly emotional, emotional day for me. Couldn’t be extra thrilled to be right here to help Maddie and the group.”
Moments after the U.S. closed out its opening win, Musselman discovered Woepse within the stands and waved.
“It’s only a full-circle second, particularly coming from, you already know, 9 months in the past, with all that’s occurred,” Musselman mentioned. “And I believe it’s 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 have been on the college at totally 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 among 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 didn’t acknowledge the quantity — they began relationship.
He proposed on Newport Seashore 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 season, so he noticed a health care provider and obtained a chest X-ray. That led to the most cancers analysis.
“Therapy-wise, I’m on a medical trial. … It’s going nicely,” mentioned Woepse, who used a cane to maneuver across the aquatics heart. “There’s been some promising outcomes from tumor markers, however nonetheless it’s an ongoing battle to take care of.”
The journey to Paris required quite a lot of coordination between Woepse and his docs, who additionally have been in touch with Workforce USA docs as they labored to make the journey as secure as potential.
“They undoubtedly made all of it occur for me. I’m very grateful,” he mentioned.
Musselman, one among 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 an enormous one.
“He advised me he was within the center, however there’s so many individuals I didn’t need to seem like I used to be distracted by looking for him to start with,” Musselman mentioned. “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. group. Through the years, by way of his time at UCLA and his relationship with Musselman, Woepse has change into buddies with a handful of her teammates.
“He’s been our greatest fan and our greatest inspiration, by way of this course of during the last yr,” Krikorian mentioned. “So to have the ability to have somebody like that (right here), who we draw a ton of inspiration from, it’s heartwarming.”
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AP Summer time Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games