STV NewsWhen swimmer Archie Goodburn was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in May 2024, he’d have been forgiven for thinking a second Commonwealth Games would be out of his reach.
The 24-year-old made his debut at the 2022 Games in Birmingham.
Despite his diagnosis with three inoperable oligodendroglioma tumours – a rare form of cancer – treatment has helped to slow growth.
Now, Archie is set to compete in Glasgow in the 50 and 100 metre breaststroke events.
The athlete has continued to study at the University of Edinburgh and will graduate with a first-class master’s degree in chemical engineering.
He has also campaigned for more funding towards brain cancer research and treatment.
STV NewsArchie says that his second Games feels “very different”, with the “edge” being taken off in comparison to four years ago.
“There’s this new excitement of it being a home Games and hopefully doing Scotland proud,” he told STV News.
“We’ve seen what’s been going on in Boston in the last few weeks, and maybe we’ll see just a fraction of that in Glasgow.”
Archie is due for one more scan at the beginning of this month to give the all-clear ahead of competing, and he’s aiming big.
“The times I’ve been swimming this year, I’m really, really proud to say that I’ve hit a personal best (PB) since my diagnosis.
“My goal is to swim a PB and the Scottish record that comes with that. Historically, that has been enough to make a podium every other Commonwealth Games.”
He hopes competing on such a big stage will help raise awareness of rare brain cancers.
But his immediate focus is on performance in the pool.
“This has obviously been a lifelong dream of mine,” he said. “There’s a very obvious campaign there, but the primary focus for the Commonwealth Games is my own performance.
“Off the back of that, we can maybe look at how that can rally and make some noise.”
STV NewsA number of other swimmers are competing under the University of Edinburgh banner at the games with their own stories to tell.
Faye Rogers was competing in selection trials for the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, but she was injured in a car crash and suffered permanent nerve damage in her arm.
The 23-year-old transitioned to para-swimming, and has done so with much success.
After missing Tokyo, Faye took to the pool in Paris in 2024, winning gold in the 100 metre butterfly.
After what was an “incredible” but “very nervous” experience in France, Faye is keen to make the most of the Commonwealths, especially on home turf.
“I don’t feel like I made the most of it, I don’t feel like I enjoyed it as much as I potentially could have.
“I don’t remember that much of it because I was so nervous, so my goal is just to enjoy it – I want to be more relaxed, and I think I’ll race better, more relaxed.”
Ciara Schlosshan, who competes in the 100 and 200 metre butterfly, was born in Leeds – but after moving north of the border for university, she’s competing for Team Scotland.
Her younger sister Leah studies in Manchester, and so she will be competing for England.
Fortunately for the rest of the Schlosshan family, the sisters compete in different races, so they won’t be forced to pick a side.
Ciara said: “My whole family have quite literally booked every single session of the swimming to come watch.
“It could be that I’m racing and then five minutes later Leah’s racing and my parents – their nerves will be through the roof.”
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