Greg Rutherford has urged men to check their testicles for lumps after he found one during lockdown.
On Thursday, the Olympic athlete shared a post on Instagram of him and his wife and their two children.
In the caption, Rutherford explained that he initially ignored the lump and distracted himself by training.
The 33-year-old said that he used his “physical strength to overpower the unknown”.
“Obviously that didn’t work and my mental health took a bit of a beating when fear set it [sic],” he continued.
Rutherford added that he didn’t tell his wife or anyone close to him until the physical pain became too much to bear.
“After an appointment, bloods and a scan I was told it was cysts! BLOODY CYSTS,” he wrote.
“But most importantly nothing to seriously worry about. I don’t think I’ve felt relief like it.”
Rutherford urged men reading his post to check themselves so as not to be in a similar situation to him.
“Even now, during a pandemic, when I think it’s safe to say we’re fearful of wasting doctors and nurses time,” he added.
“If you’re a bloke, grab them and make sure nothing’s wrong. And if your partner won’t check their own balls, maybe offer to do it for them.”
Rutherford concluded his post by saying that he was “incredibly grateful” that nothing serious was wrong.
“But I’ve also realised that while worrying’s a natural response, it solves nothing,” he added. “Keep checking and if you find something, take it seriously.”
For more information on testicular cancer and where to find support, click here.
