Sailing - Arrival of the Vendee Globe winner - Les Sables-d'Olonne, France - January 14, 2025 Macif Sante Prevoyance's Charlie Dalin holds the trophy onstage as he arrives in port after winning the Vendee Globe REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
PARIS (Reuters) -French sailor Charlie Dalin has revealed that he was undergoing treatment for cancer while he sailed to victory in the latest Vendée Globe, completing the solo round-the-world race despite a diagnosis that came only months before the start.
Dalin, 41, said he was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in late 2023, just months before the non-stop race, considered one of the most demanding challenges in sport.
"I had a tumour 15 centimetres long on my intestine. They removed it in February, but it came back elsewhere in April," Dalin told L'Equipe in an interview ahead of Thursday’s publication of his book "La Force du Destin" ("The Force of Destiny") in which he recounts his illness and treatment.
Dalin, who races for MerConcept, the Concarneau-based team founded by Francois Gabart, said he received immunotherapy treatment throughout the race.
"I was lucky to tolerate the treatment very well during the Vendée Globe," he said. "Continuing to do what I love helped me focus on something other than the disease."
Dalin said he first felt symptoms in late 2023 during a training sail. He underwent emergency scans and began treatment immediately, determined not to delay.
"There’s no logic to it. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I’m fit. Why me? No reason – just bad luck,” he said. “At first you see it as an injustice. Then you accept it.”
He said he remains under medical treatment but hopes to rebuild strength after losing about 10 kg. “It’s stabilised now, thankfully. I just need to regain some muscle,” he said.
The sailor said his sponsor Macif has confirmed its continued support, with future plans due to be announced on October 13. He may attend the start of the Transat Jacques-Vabre later this month but is focused for now on recovery.
"To be at the start of the Vendee Globe, that was incredible. A year earlier I was in hospital, unsure if I would live,” he said. “Winning it – after all that – felt like I’d already won once before.”
(Reporting by Julien PretotEditing by Ros Russell)
