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6 months ago
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Australian swimming star William Yang is thanking a lucky break for his stunning return to the pool after having a tumour on his spine surgically removed when it left him unable to walk properly.
Yang, 25, started swimming at the age of five and has since developed into one of the nation's finest freestylers.
The Sydney University student is hoping to make the the Paris Olympics after recently overcoming a significant health challenge.
In 2023, doctors discovered a tumour in Yang's spinal canal that was impacting his everyday activities and threatened to derail his career in the pool.
Freestyle ace William Yang was left struggling to walk after developing a tumour on his spine
The Sydney University student says he lucked out by finding a great doctor quickly - giving him enough time to get back into form in his quest to make the Paris Games team
'I got really lucky,' Yang told the Herald Sun.
'After the scan, immediately I was calling every surgeon in New South Wales and then I quickly found one, at Westmead Private Hospital. His name is doctor Jun Kim and he's a fabulous surgeon.
'He was like, "Your case seems very urgent so, let's move you to next week".
'The time between me finding this out to getting the surgery was less than 10 days so there wasn't much time to process it in my head.
'But then everything went really well. It was a long recovery but things went very well.'
Yang was starting to prepare for the Paris Games when a pain in his back refused to go away.
'There was a tumour in my spinal canal and then that grows on the nerve,' he said.
'In the end, I couldn't really walk so I knew I had to get surgery done and I'm very glad that I got it done.'
The swimming star had the surgery on his back within ten days of diagnosis
Yang is hoping to be selected in the Australian team for the Paris Games
Fortunately for Yang, and Aussie sports fans, he's back to his best in the pool and posting some very fast times.
Yang is likely to go to Paris, but he's not taking anything for granted after his health scare.
'It would mean a lot, that would just mean I didn't let a surgery or any setbacks define who I am or my career,' he said.
'I think I'm tougher than that. I can come back from any setback. It made me tougher mentally. I just view it as a very positive experience.
'My perspective just changed a lot after what I went through last year.
'I don't think too much about my times or my performance. I'm just happy to be here.'
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