Giant Slayer

Paskowski on the mend after winning the hardest battle of them all.

We thought we’d start the week with a bit of good news courtesy of top PWA freestyler Andre Paskowski (Fanatic / North). You’re all no doubt familiar with the fact that Andre has been battling with cancer rather than competing on the world tour this year.

Well, here at the PWA we’ve been following his progress throughout his treatment, which has been something of a roller coaster ride since his diagnosis back in May this year. It is however now with great pleasure we can share the news that Andre’s last operation has yielded positive results, and there’s plans in the pipeline to get back competing on the tour again next year.

Over to Andre:

“I think it’s time to give a little overview about the current situation.

In May this year I got diagnosed with Cancer in 3 Grade Stadium just days before
leaving to Dahab, which would have been most probably my last travel of my
lifetime.

I directly got in contact with some of the best doctors in Germany. They have done a incredible job. I did 3 month chemo, 1 operation on my stomach and now 2 operations on my lung.

Today I received the results from the last lung operation which just happened 9 days ago and the results are negative for cancer.

That means from today on I am healed in clinical measures. Well I have to pay
this success to my body. Lost bigger sections of my Lung and feel like a 90 year old but from today on it will go better step by step - the first lung rehabilitation starts in less than 2 weeks.

I will also join a program which controls my cancer status every 3 month for the next 5-10 years to minimize the risk of cancer again.

For now I am working on our new movie "Second Life" which is for sure great mentally, as it gives lots of power working on something connected to windsurfing.
I plan to hit the water again in spring 2011, slowly. I also plan a full comeback to the competition scene by late 2011, anything else would be forced and might influence my health negatively.

I need to say thanks to a couple of people. My Mum and Dad for supporting me 24hr for the last 8 months. My sponsors, especially Craig, Karin, Raoul, Renesto, Gianluca, Franco, Katja & Volker who always stayed behind me, and of course a big thanks to all my friends and the full windsurfing community which caused a big chaos on my email database but helped me with thousands of great emails!”

Massive congratulations to Andre, we look forward to seeing him back on tour next year.