MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, who won 18 Grand Slam singles tennis titles, including a record nine at Wimbledon, has said she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and that her prognosis is good.
Navratilova (53), said she received her diagnosis on February 24th, and decided to speak publicly about her condition to encourage women to get tested.
Now working to promote health and fitness with the American Association of Retired Persons, Navratilova said in a news release from the organisation that her condition had been discovered in a mammogram she had put off too long. “I was completely shocked, and the news literally knocked the wind out of me,” she said. “This is a huge wake-up call for me, and just goes to show no matter how much you watch what you eat, or exercise, you just never know.”
Navratilova was born in Prague and defected to the US as an 18-year-old in 1975. She became a US citizen in 1981, the same year she publicly acknowledged she was gay.
She has since become a strong advocate of gay rights, helping in 1995 to start up the Rainbow Card – a credit card that directs part of its fees to gay and lesbian advocacy groups.
“It’s quite sad of course,” tennis analyst Bud Collins said of Navratilova’s announcement. “But she’s a person who’s had to fight all her life, such as against people who had problems with her sexual leanings. She’s always come through.” – (Bloomberg)