As Goodburn gives an perception into what he, and lots of others, should face each day, a tear rolls down every cheek.
“I see the longer term in numerous methods on totally different days,” he explains.
“There are days after I get up feeling optimistic and hoping issues are going to be on the market that may assist. Different days, my eyes open and I bear in mind I’ve mind most cancers. There may be an finish level to my life and it is a lot sooner than it needs to be.”
Whereas he campaigns for extra funding and higher consciousness, this extraordinary younger man is drawing on the help of household and mates as he pursues his profession as elite swimmer.
He has a nationwide title to defend this weekend and, regardless of the whole lot, he would be the robust favorite to retain the Scottish 50m breaststroke crown – reside on the BBC Sport web site, app and iPlayer – given he claimed silver on the British Championships in April.
It’s tough for Goodburn to plan too far upfront, although, particularly as he might now have to contemplate extra aggressive types of therapy equivalent to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, choices he has managed to postpone to this point.
“I wish to hold going so long as I can and be in Glasgow for the subsequent Commonwealth Video games,” he says.
“I can reside a fairly regular life in the mean time however that is to not say that is one thing that is going to final and it will not be one thing that lasts.”
Watching Goodburn prepare at The Pleasance, alongside sister and fellow Commonwealth hopeful Katie, is long-time coach Mat Trodden.
He can not fairly fathom how his protege just isn’t solely nonetheless coaching at a excessive degree, however getting outcomes too. Inside a month of his first surgical procedure, he received that Scottish title. And on the finish of final yr, he equalled his PB on the world brief course.
However Goodburn just isn’t resting there. Whereas he tackles head on all of the tough challenges life has landed him with, he’s additionally permitting himself to dream.
“I am dreaming of bettering myself,” he says. “A analysis like this takes away the assumption in your self which you can be higher than you have been beforehand. Most cancers is one thing that we have a look at as a downhill, slippery slope and in some methods it’s.
“However I dream of being higher than the final time I attempted to do one thing. That lights a wee hearth in me when numerous different issues put the hearth out.
“Doing a private greatest post-diagnosis is a large dream of mine. Occurring to symbolize Scotland on the Commonwealth Video games could be large. Fingers crossed I can look in the direction of the subsequent Olympics.
“That is dependent upon numerous components exterior my management. I am simply going to maintain going at this so long as I can and hold being Archie.”
When you’ve got been affected by any of those points, discover help by way of the BBC Action Line
