Tim Lobinger will lose the fight against cancer, the doctors have told him. A heavy blow as he is expected to speak to his children and deal with his funeral. The former pole vault world champion also missed his son's school enrollment in September.
The seriously ill pole vault world champion Tim Lobinger reports on his tough battle with cancer. "There will be no more healing for me. My cancer is too aggressive," said the 50-year-old of the "Bild" newspaper. In February, doctors told him his death was near. He should make arrangements, deal with his funeral and say goodbye to his loved ones.
"Talking to my kids was tough. They know how bad things are for me." But his will to live remains strong: "It's worth fighting for every day that I can live and spend with my family." And the 2003 indoor world champion has not given up this fight: "There are always small ways that allow you to gain strength and not lose hope," he told the "Bild" newspaper.
Lobinger was diagnosed with blood cancer in March 2017. After chemotherapy, stem cell donations, interim relapses and a brief liver failure in the summer of 2018, the ex-professional was considered healthy again. According to Lobinger, he had to undergo therapy again in 2020 and received additional radiation. "It started with joint problems. Suddenly I had visible dents all over my body. On my legs, shoulders, head," he explained.
Immunotherapy was delayed and not fully effective. His body is weakened, at 1.93 meters tall he weighs only 66 kilograms. It is now small goals that make him happy. The fact that he was able to lead his 27-year-old daughter Fee to the altar in June is one of them. "On that day I was only the father of the bride, not Tim who was suffering from cancer. That was incredibly good for me," he told the magazine "Bunte" at the time. He was also able to celebrate his 50th birthday on September 3rd on a small scale. "To experience this day was one of my milestones," he told the "Bild".
However, he missed his son Okkert's school enrollment just ten days later. Lobinger had to go to the clinic again the day before, "Bild" reports that an emergency operation on the stomach had to be carried out. So far, Lobinger has spent more than half of the year in the hospital.
