Published Oct 2, 2020

Olympian Shannon Miller Reveals The Mindset That Helped Her Get Through Ovarian Cancer: ‘You Fall Nine Times, You Get Up Ten’

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Lessons Learned

Shannon Miller says she learned valuable lessons from the Olympics which helped her during cancer treatment.
Miller was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011, and underwent surgery and chemotherapy.
Experts tell SurvivorNet that a patients who have positive mindset often have more successful treatment outcomes.

Olympian Shannon Miller learned a lot from competing, and it’s helped her take on every challenge she’s faced. While battling ovarian cancer, Miller says her competitive side taught her important lessons that she carried during treatment, which helped tremendously.

Miller, 43, did team USA proud at the Summer Olympics from 1991 to 1996. Now, even as veteran gymnast, the lessons she learned from the experience helped guide her through yet another challenge ovarian cancer. Miller was diagnosed with a rare form of the disease called germ cell ovarian cancer in 2011. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and while it was a successful, going through cancer treatment is certainly no joke. However, thanks to her prior experience to pushing her body to the limits, Miller was able to channel her strong mindset to hep her through the process.

“I think at that point is when I reverted back to that competitive mindset that I knew so well through sport,” Miller tells Sports Illustrated. “I felt like I could wake up each day and have control over something, no matter how small. Maybe it was: ‘Could I walk around the dining room table? I may have been an Olympic medalist, but at that moment if I could get up and walk around the dining room table, that was a win.”

Miller admits there were certainly dark days during her cancer journey, but like a true champion, she convinced herself to pick herself up whenever she felt she couldn’t continue.

“It doesn't matter who you are, you're going to have bad days,” Miller says. “Sometimes you're going to need that pity party and you're going to need to cry or yell and that's fine. But then how do I take that next forward step, how do I get back up and I think that's what gymnastics really taught me was you fall nine times, you get up 10.”

Olympian and ovarian cancer survivor Shannon Miller shares an encouraging message with SurvivorNet

Mindset is Important During Cancer Treatment

Studies have proven that a positive mindset can lead to better treatment outcomes for a number of patients. In addition to a positive mindset, experts recommend a few other ways to keep pushing through a cancer journey.

"We call it 'eye of the tiger,'" Dr. Sid Ganguly, Deputy Director of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Kansas Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet. "You have to have the eye of the tiger to go through this grueling process that is necessary these days to get rid of these virulent and aggressive cancers."

The "eye of the tiger" mindset includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, and most importantly, a positive attitude. It's understandable that many cancer patients may struggle to feel optimistic during treatment, and that’s why a support system is so important. Whether it’s a group of people going through a similar experience, family, or close friends, let them be your personal cheerleaders.

Dr. Sid Ganguly explains how mindset can impact cancer treatment

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