Young Japanese swimming star Rikako Ikee, who has most of the junior medals on the junior side and some medals on the senior side, received leukemia in February 2019. After the diagnosis, she was positive in statements on social media.
But the treatments she went through affected her, it was painful. In an interview with former tennis player Shuzo Matsuoka, she talked about the tough time.
"I couldn't bear to listen to sounds, I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to watch TV, I wanted to die," she said at the Japan Times.
The swimming star struggled through the disease.
"First time in 406 days"In February this year she was back in the gym. Now she has posted posts on social media showing that she is back in the pool.
“In the end, I got permission from the doctor to return to the pool. It's the first time in 406 days! I am so happy, I am so happy that I can hardly describe it with words, ”Ikee writes on social media.
She was in the water for about 30 minutes. Sarah Sjöström is one of the people who responded to Ikee's post on Instagram.
CLIP: Competitors' Greetings to Ikee (July 22, 2019)
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