"I never wanted to think my career was over," is what Kevin Alston said to ExtraTime Radio last August, just weeks after his return to the field for the New England Revolution.
For those who don't remember: Alston was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia early last April. He missed just under four months, coming back with a clean bill of health on July 27. He was honored as the 2013 MLS Comeback Player of the Year at the end of the season.
And now? Now it's time for the 2014 preseason, which means physicals and check-ups and bloodwork and more.
I'm sure I wasn't the only one thinking about Alston this week. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who smiled at the below message on his Instagram account:
Columbus Crew 'keeper Matt Lampson, who battled Stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma as a teenager, is also back to training this week. And he is, nearly seven years after his diagnosis, cancer free.
You can help support Lampson's foundation, which raises awareness of blood cancers and money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, here.
