Multiple Ironman World Champion Mark Allen weekly updates his followers through YouTube, but this week his face showed some pretty bad scars. Allen explains that’s because he had to remove a piece of cancerous skin. “Last week, I just had my first Mohs surgery to remove a chunk that was not pre-cancer, but was the real deal. It went well, fortunately. This video is just a reminder to all of you who love your outdoor activities to take care, though.”
“See that there?”, Allen points at his cheek. “That was skin cancer. It’s an issue for people who are in the sun a lot. If you’re an endurance athlete, you’re in the sun a lot. It’s not something that can be fixed today, if you had some bad habits in the past. I had some bad habits in the past. Or not necessarily bad habits, but in the early mid 70s I was a swimmer, I was a lifeguard on the beaches in San Diego and there was no good sunscreen; it did a lot of damage. And then I was a triathlete for fifteen years – and I surfed – and I was out in the sun all the time.”
Check out the video below to hear about Allen’s diagnosis and why it’s so important to protect your skin from the sun.
