Geneva Native, Cancer Fighter Takes Silver At Olympic Games

GENEVA, IL — Kevin McDowell of Geneva won his first Olympic medal Saturday in the triathlon mixed relay, just days after he took sixth in the men's individual triathlon event.

The 28-year-old said he was at a loss for words after crossing the finish line second, becoming one of the first American men to win an Olympic medal in triathlon.

"To be honest [my teammates] have played a big role in this journey to where I am today," McDowell told the Chicago Tribune. "They all believed in me at different times."

The triathlete's journey took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011. At 18, the cancer threatened to ruin the young man's promising career. At the time, he had just graduated early from Geneva High School to train at a nearby U.S. Olympic training center before attending the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

The Olympian got his start on the Multisport Madness triathlon team in St. Charles and went on to earn silver at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, followed by bronze in the mixed relay.

In 2016, McDowell got one step closer to his dream when he was selected to be an alternate at the Summer Games. Finally, USA Triathlon officials chose McDowell to represent the country in Tokyo, over 6,000 miles from the suburb where it all began.