Park Tae-hwan Recalls Mother's Cancer Battle, Tears Up Remembering Gold Medal Days

Swimmer Park Tae-hwan became emotional on KBS2TV's 'Shinsang Lunch Pantry' as he recalled his mother's battle with cancer during his golden days as an athlete.

In the episode aired on the 3rd, Park Tae-hwan appeared with his mother, shedding light on the supportive meals she prepared for him throughout his career. His mother revealed how she even traveled to competitions in Australia to cook for him despite her own leg injury.

She shared a particularly poignant memory: "Tae-hwan was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer when he was in the 4th grade, and it happened to be on the day of his competition." She continued, "I told him I'd have surgery right after the match." Due to the delay, the cancer progressed to stage 1, and she noted how cancer spreads faster in younger patients.

Park Tae-hwan recalled, "My mother wasn't feeling well, but I didn't know she had cancer. I only realized because she was constantly lying down." His mother responded, "Thanks to Tae-hwan, I recovered quickly after surgery. Watching Tae-hwan compete was my greatest joy." She added, "I didn't even think about the breast cancer surgery," highlighting her strong will to recover for her son's sake. Park Tae-hwan also stated, "I worked even harder for my mother who was fighting cancer."

His mother humorously remarked, "It was fun seeing him bring home those yellow gold medals every time," making Park Tae-hwan blush and ask for the scene to be edited out. She quickly clarified, "No, I meant that seeing you win gold medals so often, I didn't realize how hard it was for you," expressing her immense pride in her son.

Netizens watching the broadcast commented, "I cried watching both of you," "The mother's devotion and the son's efforts are truly touching," and "As expected, Marine Boy Park Tae-hwan!" offering warm support.