CBS SportsLine wire reports
Oct. 17, 1998
It started with a glance in the mirror.
Peggy Fleming saw the lump on her breast. It was small but enough to cast an unfamiliar shadow.
She wasn't too concerned because just five months earlier she had a mammogram and a
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Still, she wanted to be sure. So she went to the doctor — and the news changed her life.
A month later, in February, Fleming had a small amount of cancerous tissue removed from her left breast, exactly 30 years after winning the Olympic gold medal for figure skating.
"I think my life's experiences really came into play,'' she said. "I wanted to win. I wanted to beat this.''
Today, the 50-year-old Fleming is proud to say she's cancer-free.
USUALLY PROTECTIVE OF HER PRIVATE life, Fleming is candid about her experiences with the disease.
Like fellow figure skater Scott Hamilton and his frank discussion of his testicular cancer, Fleming said she feels a responsibility as a public figure to educate others. She is the national spokeswoman for Speak Out, a breast cancer awareness campaign.
"I felt I needed to share this,'' she said. "I think it helped me, and now I want to help others.''
Fleming won gold at the 1968 Winter Games at Grenoble, France. Wearing a demure chartreuse dress, she skated with precision and grace, instantly becoming an American ice queen.
Fleming, who also won five U.S. championships and three world titles, capitalized on her Olympic performance by skating in ice shows and later became an analyst for ABC Sports. She settled down with her husband, dermatologist Greg Jenkins, and their two sons in a quiet neighborhood near San Jose, Calif.
THERE WAS NOTHING TO SUGGEST she was at risk for breast cancer; no one in her family had it, and, as an athlete, she had always paid attention to her health. But as Fleming attests: "The highest risk of getting breast cancer is just being a woman.''
Breast cancer, the most common form of cancer among women, is the leading cause of death of women between 35 and 54.
In 1998, more than 178,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,500 will die, according to The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the largest private funder of breast cancer research.
When she found out she had the disease, Fleming approached the diagnosis with the stubborn perseverance of a competitor. She would win.
"I had everything in my favor,'' she said. "We caught it early.''
The hardest part, she said, was telling her sons: Andy, 21, a college student, and Todd, 10.
"I had a positive thing to tell them: That I was going to be OK,'' she said, her voice quavering slightly.
WISHES FOR FLEMING'S QUICK RECOVERY came in from around the world. Hamilton sent flowers and a note. Fellow commentator and skating promoter Dick Button called. Michelle Kwan phoned from the Winter Games at Nagano, where she went on to win the silver medal.
Kwan, who wasn't even born when Fleming won Olympic gold, called her a role model.
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Fleming says early detection saved her life.
(AP)
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"She's done a lot for figure skating,'' Kwan said. "When you look back 100 years from now at figure skating, you'll still see Peggy Fleming.''
After her surgery, Fleming underwent six weeks of radiation treatment.
"It was tougher than I thought it was going to be,'' she said. "You get fatigued so easily. That was irritating.''
It also was tough on her youngest son, Todd.
"I tried to take naps, so that I would have energy when he came home. I just tried to make my life normal,'' she said. "The way he showed his concern, he wanted to be with me all the time. And that was fine with me.''
FOR THE SPEAK OUT CAMPAIGN, Fleming talks in national TV and magazine ads about her experiences and encourages women to do self-exams and get regular mammograms.
"This is a very strong message,'' she said. "It saved my life: Early detection is the key.''
Fleming is steady and matter-of-fact as she discusses the disease, as if using her cool TV persona and competitive resolve as a shield. Only occasionally does she let her guard down.
But then, when she says goodbye, the impact is clear.
"Remember to take care of yourself,'' she said softly.