Current:Home > InvestOlympian Madeline Musselman Honors Husband Pat Woepse After Fatal Cancer Battle -GrowthInsight
Olympian Madeline Musselman Honors Husband Pat Woepse After Fatal Cancer Battle
View
Date:2025-04-17 14:03:54
Madeline Musselman is remembering her late husband.
Less than a month after the Olympian shared her husband Pat Woepse had died at 31 following a battle with a rare form of cancer called NUT carcinoma, she joined family and friends to celebrate his life at an outing to Newport Beach, Calif.
In addition to a church service, Pat's loved ones honored him with an ocean swim as a tribute to the late UCLA water polo player, who once swam across the English Channel.
"All for you, Pat. All for you," Madeline captioned a Nov. 3 Instagram video. "We love you and miss you. We can do hard things. PW FOREVER."
The 26-year-old—who won gold with her water polo team at the 2020 Tokyo and 2016 Rio Olympics—first shared the news of Pat's passing on Oct. 10.
"No words to describe the ache of missing him" she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the two on the beach. "He was the light of my life and my person. He was my first love and the best husband I could have ever asked for."
She added, "And although it feels heavy and I can't breathe as I sit here typing this out, he is no longer in pain and was so at peace during his last moments. He battled one of the most rare cancers for over a year, never complained, and fought harder than anyone should have to fight for something in their life."
But he'll always be in her heart.
"I love you so much babe," she said. "I will be missing you forever."
Madeline and Pat first met in 2022 and married in October 2023, shortly after learning about his cancer diagnosis.
"All the people that came together to make it happen within four days," Madeline recalled to NBCLos Angeles in August, "it was pretty crazy. We had flowers. We had a church that welcomed us with open arms to marry us. It was just a perfect weekend."
Pat had previously shared that despite his health and the chemotherapy treatments he was undergoing, he was determined to watch his wife compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics—and he did.
"This was my biggest goal, with everything being so unknown," he told NBC. "So pretty emotional, emotional day for me. Couldn't be more thrilled to be here to support Maddie and the team.
And while the couple wanted to keep many aspects of their lives private, the athletes shared their hope that by being open about their story they could be an inspiration to others dealing with difficult situations.
"We're sharing our story not for people to feel sorry for us or feel bad for what we're going through," Madeline said. "If anything it's for inspiration and that you can get to the other side of things With the people that are right next to you, we hope for that."
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (11789)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- How Bethann Hardison changed the face of fashion - and why that matters
- Spain charges Shakira with tax evasion in second case, demanding more than $7 million
- See Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet’s Paris Fashion Week Date Night
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- The New Season: Art from hip hop to Picasso
- Families of those killed by fentanyl gather at DEA as US undergoes deadliest overdose crisis
- Rubiales crisis fallout sees next UEFA annual meeting moved from Spain to France
- Beware of giant spiders: Thousands of tarantulas to emerge in 3 states for mating season
- Did Taylor Swift put Travis Kelce 'on the map'? TikTok trend captures hilarious reactions
Ranking
- Olympic men's basketball bracket: Results of the 5x5 tournament
- Taiwan factory fire kills at least 5 and injures 100 others
- In Sweden, 2 explosions rip through dwellings and at least 1 is reportedly connected to a gang feud
- As many as a dozen bodies found scattered around northern Mexico industrial hub of Monterrey
- Clay Aiken's son Parker, 15, makes his TV debut, looks like his father's twin
- Narcissists can't stand these traits. Here's how to become immune to narcissists.
- NFL power rankings Week 4: Cowboys tumble out of top five, Dolphins surge
- Death of former NFL WR Mike Williams being investigated for 'unprescribed narcotics'
Recommendation
Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
Police chief went straight to FBI after Baton Rouge 'brave cave' allegations: Source
JPMorgan to pay $75 million over claims it enabled Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking
Joe Namath blasts struggling Jets QB Zach Wilson: 'I've seen enough'
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
House GOP prepares four spending bills as shutdown uncertainty grows
Pioneering Black portraitist Barkley L. Hendricks is first artist of color to get solo show at Frick
Cars are a major predator for wildlife. How is nature adapting to our roads?