Olympic rower Jean Mitchell from Australia was able to turn her story of cancer diagnosis and recovery into an expressive and inspiring image of perseverance. After being diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 16, Mitchell has emerged stronger, recently making her Olympic debut in Paris as part of Australia’s women’s four team. Following her experience, she now sports a tattoo of the Olympic rings. It acts to camouflage a scar from her treatment, making it an even more meaningful reminder of her battle and triumph.
Mitchell’s tick-trek started with some pretty scary symptoms such as pins and needles, pounding headaches, blurry vision and vertigo. Specialists found a 4-centimetre tumor at the base of her skull. Once diagnosed, she was thrown into a life-altering treatment plan with regular chemotherapy sessions and recovery took two years.
Even through all the trials, her diagnosis did not stop Mitchell’s love for the sport of rowing. She won her first international team call-up in 2022 and repped Canada proudly at Paris’ Olympic last year.
Overcoming Adversity
Looking back on her journey, Mitchell said she’s most proud of facing a high level of adversity. She gestured at the thick, well-healed scar across her midriff. It’s a fitting tribute that has become an uplifting reminder of her difficult journey.
“I’ve always been proud of that scar anyway, because it does show what I’ve been through and what I’ve overcome.” – Jean Mitchell
For Mitchell, her scar represents not only struggle, the resilience she has developed from her struggles.
“Looking at the scar, before it was a reminder of what had been there before — the port and the needles going in and the trauma around that,” – Jean Mitchell
After finishing her treatment, she learned to love her scar. She chose to view it as a badge of honor rather than a mark of suffering.
“After I got over the treatment process and I had some time to actually think about the scar itself, that’s when I realised that it’s actually something to be so proud of.” – Jean Mitchell
A New Chapter
Mitchell was planning to take a brief break from rowing after the Paris Games. Now, he’s returned to full training and pursuing his goal of competing in the LA 2028 Olympics. She plans to keep competing at the highest level possible and continues to be a role model for young people in the process.
As she continues on her path to recovery, her recent tattoo stands as the most fitting tribute to her journey.
“I thought it would be really special if I replaced the scar I got from cancer and then slapped the Olympic rings over it to say, ‘Look what I did after having you,’” – Jean Mitchell
The tattoo is a tribute to all her time spent fighting cancer, but symbolizes her new role as an Olympian.
“But then to put an even bigger achievement over it … to be able to look at it and see the Olympic rings; I’m reminded every day that now I can call myself an Olympian till the end of time.” – Jean Mitchell
Inspiring Others
She hopes that sharing her story will offer hope and motivation to others going through the same fight. She’s heard from young women who connect with her story and are finding hope in her journey.
“I’ve also had a lot of people contact me and say I’ve been through something similar, or I’m going through something similar, and this gives me a bit of hope, which was like exactly the intention.” – Jean Mitchell
Mitchell’s story is as much about achieving athletic excellence as it is about overcoming personal hardship.
“Hopefully, some people can take some inspiration from it, that you can go through hard times and you can go straight through it and thrive afterwards,” – Jean Mitchell
