Archie Goodburn has already fought a battle much bigger than swimming. The 25-year-old Scottish swimmer, who is living with inoperable brain cancer, reached the men’s 50-meter breaststroke final for the first time at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Although he finished seventh and missed a medal, the moment meant far more than the result. After the race, an emotional Goodburn said he hopes his journey also brings more attention to brain cancer and the need for better treatment.
How Archie Goodburn kept his Commonwealth Games dream alive despite inoperable brain cancer
Goodburn’s road to this year’s Commonwealth Games has been anything but easy. In 2024, doctors diagnosed him with three low-grade but inoperable brain tumors after he began having seizures, numbness on the left side of his body and repeated feelings of déjà vu. Tests, brain scans and a biopsy later confirmed that he had oligodendroglioma, a type of brain tumor that develops from support cells in the central nervous system, according to the Cleveland Clinic.Doctors also told him that he might not live into his 40s, according to the BBC. Even with that life-changing news, Goodburn decided not to step away from swimming.Representing Scotland in front of a home crowd in Glasgow, he safely came through the heats before booking a place in the 50-meter breaststroke final. It was a major personal achievement because he had fallen short at the semifinal stage during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.Speaking to the BBC after reaching the final, Goodburn admitted the moment became emotional.“Last night, I was so overcome to have achieved that primary goal of making the final. Then over the next 24 hours, you look for more.”He entered the medal race hoping to add one more memorable chapter to his story. While that dream did not happen, simply standing in the final was a milestone he had worked years to achieve.
Archie Goodburn says his biggest dream now is to help brain cancer patients
Goodburn finished seventh in the final, but he said the experience was something he will never forget.“I was really trying to soak it up, because I didn’t feel like I really got much of a chance to do that after the semi. And the experience was everything I dreamed of and more. But the time, unfortunately, wasn’t there,” he told the BBC.His performances in recent months show that he remains one of Scotland’s top swimmers. Earlier this year, he broke the Scottish 50-meter breaststroke record and secured his place at the Commonwealth Games.Away from the pool, Goodburn recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in chemical engineering. He is also receiving treatment with vorasidenib, a cancer growth-blocking medicine that has helped slow the growth of his tumors and delay the need for chemotherapy.Even after missing out on a medal, Goodburn said he has a much bigger goal.“My dream didn’t come true today, but my other dream is that we see a future where brain cancer isn’t the biggest killer of patients under 40,” he told the BBC.He added that he has realized his role is “a bit of both” athlete and advocate because speaking up could help improve treatment for himself and other young people facing the same disease.
