Fernando Llaneza’s Roller Coaster Six Months

Llaneza Felt the Highest Highs and the Lowest Lows in 2024

Last May, Fernando Llaneza was competing at the Europe Semifinals. The 28-year-old from Spain, who started CrossFit 11 years ago, was competing well, finishing a respectable 24th overall at his first Semifinal competition.

However, competing against some of the fittest athletes in the world seems like a lifetime ago, as Llaneza finds himself going through chemotherapy for testicular cancer.

How It Went Down

During Semifinals, Llaneza started experiencing some back pain. He wasn’t worried, thinking it was typical back pain, so he popped some anti-inflammatories and continued with the competition. The pain got worse after Semifinals, moving to his abdomen, and he decided to increase his pain medication and continue training. By the end of the summer, he had increased his pain meds from two to three each day, and it was then that he realized, “I think I have to go to the doctor.”

After that, everything happened quickly. Llaneza was diagnosed with testicular cancer; however, his tumor was in his intestines. He had surgery to remove his testicle on September 4 and started chemotherapy to shrink and hopefully kill the tumor on September 17, his birthday.

Where He Is Today

Llaneza is two months into chemotherapy, and with one cycle to go, he has lost 33 pounds. In many ways, he feels like a shell of his former self. “It’s a roller coaster. One minute, I can be feeling good and with energy, but then I need sleep and I wake up feeling so bad. I don’t have one day where the entire day is good feelings,” he said.

What does help, however, is continuing to train at home on the days when he’s feeling strong. “In the first cycle of [chemotherapy], it was impossible to work out because the pain was so high, but now I am doing a little bit of training. I’m not going to call it CrossFit, not at the level I was at, but when I work out, I feel so much better,” he said.

Conclusion

Llaneza is confident that he will reclaim the fitness he had before his cancer diagnosis. “When I have bad days, I can’t imagine doing the same things that I was doing, but when I have good days, I feel strong, and I feel it is possible,” he said. He concluded, “I’m going to fight to be as fit as I was before. I will do everything, everything I can to be back.”

Frequently Asked Questions

• What was your initial diagnosis?
  • Llaneza was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but his tumor was in his intestines.
• How has your fitness level changed since your diagnosis?
  • Llaneza has lost 33 pounds and feels like a shell of his former self.
• How do you stay motivated during treatment?
  • Llaneza continues to train at home and feels it helps him cope with the challenges of chemotherapy.
• How can people support you during this time?
  • Llaneza would love to connect with others who have experienced a similar type of cancer and can be found on Instagram @fernandollaneza.