Workforce USA Olympian Maia Shibutani resides her moment to the fullest, four-and-a-half years nearest she found out a tumor she had got rid of from her kidney was once malignant.
“I’m healthy and doing well,” the 29-year-old advised PEOPLE solely on the Gold Gala on Saturday, Might 11. “Everyone’s love and concern is very much appreciated but I’m happy to share that I’m healthy.”
Again in 2019, Maia — who gained the ice dance and workforce bronze medal together with her brother Alex, 33, on the 2018 Pyeongchang Video games — perceivable {that a} tumor she had got rid of from her kidney was once cancerous.
“I got my pathology report back — the tumor that was successfully removed on Saturday was unfortunately malignant (cancer). (SDH)-deficient renal cell carcinoma,” the Olympian wrote on Instagram on Dec. 20, 2019. The tumor was once first of all found out in October nearest Maia was once hospitalized for a abdomen virus. She up to now stated that docs put the percentages of the cluster being malignant at 60/40.
“This wasn’t the news I was hoping for, but I am beyond thankful that it was detected early and that my surgery went well,” she persisted, sharing on the moment that “no further treatment is required at this time.”
Next the process, Maia graphic that her cure was once “very painful” and “extremely challenging.”
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However lately, Maia tells PEOPLE she’s “doing great” and that she and Alex — affectionately dubbed the “Shib Sibs” — have an excessively busy summer season forward, together with a shuttle to Paris for the 2024 Olympics,
“We’ll be in Paris this summer for the Olympics,” Alex stated. “I’ll be a photographer there on the ground and Maia will be doing a variety of different media roles.”
“It’s our first summer Olympics!” Maia chimed in excitedly.
“Paris is an incredible city and we’re just looking to cheer on Team USA athletes and all the other athletes on that stage,” Alex added.
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Talking of the Olympic level, the Shibutanis joined fellow Wintry weather Olympians Kristi Yamaguchi, Chloe Kim and Apolo Anton Ohno, and Paralympian Scout Bassett on the Gold Gala to honor 3 participants of Workforce USA who gained workforce gold on the 2022 Beijing Olympics: Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou and Madison Chock.
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“It was a wonderful night of celebrating culture, achievement, community, and allyship,” the brother and sister duo wrote on Instagram nearest the Gold Gala, which identified Asian/Pacific Islander/Local Hawaiian excellence in leisure, sports activities, trade and extra.
The Shibutanis can be highlighting much more Asian excellence of their 2d accumulation, due out then Spring.
“It’s called Incredible: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Changed the World,” Maia shared. “It’ll highlight 38 previous and contemporary trailblazers.”
