U.S. Olympian Goes For Third Gold As Husband With Stage 4 Cancer Cheers Her On

U.S. water polo star Maddie Musselman is going for her third Olympic gold medal while her husband battles stage 4 lung cancer.

Both are in Paris trying to stay present.

“There (are) fears and doubts that creep in, but I don’t think they possess my mind all the time,” Musselman told NBC Los Angeles. “And I think our faith is a huge part of that.”

Pat Woepse, her spouse, was able to cheer on Musselman in person as the squad beat Greece in the first game of group play.

“This was my biggest goal, with everything being so unknown,” Woepse said after the match. “So pretty emotional, emotional day for me. Couldn’t be more thrilled to be here to support Maddie and the team.”

They met in 2022 and accelerated their romance when Woepse, also a former water polo player at UCLA, discovered he had advanced lung cancer after swimming the English channel. They got married.

“Nothing has ever made me happier than loving Patrick,” she wrote on Instagram in October 2023 alongside a photo of their wedding. “One week married to him and it’s truly been everything I have hoped and prayed for.”

Now Musselman, an attacker whose team was 2-1 in group play before its matchup against France on Friday, tries to find the right balance between supporting Woepse through his treatment and playing water polo.

“There are times where I wanted to be with him, but he’s like, ‘No, you have to go to practice,’” she said. “Obviously I want him to know that I’m there, but yeah, it’s been hard.”