Current:Home > MarketsOlympian Madeline Musselman Honors Husband Pat Woepse After Fatal Cancer Battle -Capitatum
Olympian Madeline Musselman Honors Husband Pat Woepse After Fatal Cancer Battle
View
Date:2025-04-15 22:59:15
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! (4138)
Related
- NCAA hands former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh a 4-year show cause order for recruiting violations
- How long has it been since the Minnesota Twins won a playoff game?
- Harry Potter's Michael Gambon Dead at 82
- Last samba in Paris: Gabriela Hearst exits Chloé dancing, not crying, with runway swan song
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Late-night TV is back: Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, more to return after writers strike
- 2 accused of false Alzheimer’s diagnoses get prison terms for fraud convictions
- TikTok videos promoting steroid use have millions of views, says report criticized by the company
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean Celebrates 2 Years of Sobriety After “One Hell of a Journey”
Ranking
- Oklahoma parole board recommends governor spare the life of man on death row
- North Carolina’s governor vetoes bill that would take away his control over election boards
- Police raid Spanish soccer federation amid probe into Barcelona payments to referee exec
- Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker fired for inappropriate behavior
- Messi injury update: Ankle 'better every day' but Inter Miami star yet to play Leagues Cup
- Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense' is still burning down the house
- Why Mick Jagger Might Leave His $500 Million Music Catalog to Charity Instead of His Kids
- Volcanic supercontinent will likely wipe out humans in 250 million years, study says
Recommendation
Olympic women's basketball bracket: Schedule, results, Team USA's path to gold
North Dakota Supreme Court strikes down key budget bill, likely forcing Legislature to reconvene
Powerball jackpot soars to $925 million ahead of next drawing
Hispanic Influencers Share Curated Fashion Collections From Amazon's The Drop
USA women's basketball live updates at Olympics: Start time vs Nigeria, how to watch
Why are Kim and Kourtney fighting? 'Kardashians' Season 4 returns with nasty sister spat
Suspect Jason Billingsley arrested in murder of Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere
With Damian Lillard trade, Bucks show Giannis Antetokounmpo NBA championship commitment