Olympian Daniel Wiffen Finds Motivation in Mother's Cancer Recovery

Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen has revealed that his mother's recovery from leukemia serves as a source of motivation as he prepares for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this July.

Rachel Wiffen was diagnosed with leukemia last November, but during the announcement of Northern Ireland's team for the summer event, she confirmed she is now in remission.

"The diagnosis came just before the European Championships in November, so it was a tough blow for our family," explained Wiffen, who won gold in the 800m freestyle in the Paris Olympics in 2024.

"I was in America, but fortunately, I was back for the European Championships, and the news came at a moment when I was happy to return. But it was tough for my twin brother, Neiton, who was still in America. My mother has always been my number one supporter. She drove me to those early morning training sessions and helped me in every way."

Wiffen added: "Even if I hadn't become a swimmer today, it's because of my mother and father. She couldn't travel for the European Championships."

"It's the first competition she hasn't been present for, and it was really hard not to see her in the stands while I was competing."

Wiffen's mother is now in full remission and on the path to recovery.

"I'm very proud because everyone says you need a strong woman to guide you through life. For me, that's my mother, and she's very strong," Wiffen added.

"It's great to win all this, to be an Olympic champion and to win European, world, and other titles, but life goes on. I also have to deal with these things, just like my family. So to see how my mother is overcoming this is just a new motivation for me – that my family is as strong as me, and I am as strong as my mother."

"I'll dedicate all my victories at the Commonwealth Games to her. So every time I win, I'll point her out to the audience."

Recently, Wiffen has returned home, with his training base now in Dublin, but his mother's illness had nothing to do with the decision, which was entirely dictated by his swimming needs.

With the European Championships following the Commonwealth Games in August, the summer may prove to be very demanding for the 24-year-old swimmer.

"The process of returning was easy and I definitely figured out some things I was not doing right in California," he explained. "That's the reason I returned – to try and focus and do real work."

"Everything is going well. I can't wait for the summer. I can't wait to see how fast I can swim. I don't want to say that I'll break a world record, but I'll tell you a bit closer to the competition after a few more weeks of training. But judging by how things are going, I'm pretty fast."

Follow us:

Images: Gettyimages