| Gary
Jobson Diagnosed with Lymphoma
Gary
Jobson, the face and voice of sailing for North
America and much of the world, has canceled his
schedule of lectures and TV work for the next two
months while he will be treated for lymphoma.
After
recent examinations for fatigue and shortness of
breath, Jobson, 52, received the final diagnosis
Tuesday as he was preparing for an appearance at
the Long Beach (Calif.) Yacht Club that night. The
appearance was canceled.
Jobson
was scheduled to receive the first of six to eight
monthly chemotherapy treatments Friday.
Kathy
Lambert, secretary at Jobson sailing in Annapolis,
Md., said, "Gary is very weak but his spirits
are good."
Jobson's
office distributed the following statement from
him: "Before heading to the America's Cup in
Auckland I developed an annoying cough. During my
time covering the America's Cup I became quite fatigued
between our ESPN shows.
"After
returning from Auckland I set out on an ambitious
lecture tour. To date I have given 26 presentations
all around the USA. Most of the audiences were capacity
crowds. The questions on the America's Cup were
fascinating and insightful. Clearly, people who
care about the sport followed the Cup closely.
"As
my lecture tour progressed, however, I became increasingly
fatigued and the cough did not go away. With the
assistance of an inhaler and rest on either side
of my programs, I was able to speak. In the last
10 days things turned for the worse.
"Last
week I started a series of tests that included a
CT scan, a lymph node biopsy and a variety of other
procedures. For me, it is difficult to walk and
I am out of breath all the time. For the first time
in my 30-year speaking career I have been forced
to cancel presentations.
"Yesterday
I was diagnosed with lymphoma, which is ironic since
I have been chairman of the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society's regatta series for the past 11 years.
I have been advised not to schedule any activities
for the next two months.
"I
will be receiving chemotherapy for the next six
to eight months to battle back from this disease.
I am going to be in a quiet period now for the next
10 days. Apparently, the treatments are hard.
"Sorry
to give you this report. My spirits are good. I
hope to be around
the waterfront later this summer. (signed) Gary
Jobson"
Jobson's
long-term schedule calls for him to report on the
2004 Olympic sailing at Athens.
The
next National Regatta of the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society's sailing program will be the Friday prelude
competition to San Diego's Yachting Cup next weekend.
Jobson
has won many championships in one-design classes,
the America's Cup with Ted Turner in 1977 and the
Fastnet Race, along with many of the world's ocean
races.
But
he is better known for his TV work and authorship
of 13 sailing books. In 1999 he was awarded the
Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, US Sailing's most
prestigious award presented annually to an individual
who has made an outstanding contribution to the
sport of sailing in the United States.
Jobson
has been ESPN's sailing commentator since 1985 and
produces over 30 shows per year. In 1988 he won
an Emmy for his coverage of yachting at the Olympic
Games in South Korea.
He
has led ambitious expeditions to Antarctica and
Cape Horn, and over the past 25 years has given
more than 1,900 lectures throughout the world.
---RICH ROBERTS
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