Jody Gormley speaks of his terminal cancer diagnosis

FORMER Tyrone footballer Jody Gormley has revealed he’s been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.

Gormley, who steered his native Trillick to last year’s Tyrone Senior Championship title, says he feels ‘no fear of dying whatsoever’ but is deeply saddened by the thought of leaving his family behind.

“I have no fear of dying,” Gormley said in an interview on The GAA Social. “I’ve felt blessed my entire life. The sadness is the people you’re leaving behind… that I’ll not get to see my son play and won’t see my family grow up. That’s the reality. When you peel it all back, it’s the people close to you that you’re not going to have those experiences with. That is the genuine sadness.”

A teacher at Abbey CBS in Newry, Gormley said he hopes to leave a legacy of strength for his family and friends. “It’s important for me to show that even if you’re facing the ultimate challenge, you can be resilient,” he said. “This is an opportunity to show that just because you have a terminal illness doesn’t mean your life is over. I intend to go out with a bang. I’m not going to lie down in the corner.”

Gormley, who also had a health scare earlier this year with a stroke while on holiday, feels that his long dedication to sports has given him resilience in the face of his diagnosis. “When you’re involved in sport, you develop resilience over years of training and dealing with setbacks,” he explained.

As he reflects on his life, Gormley hopes to be remembered as “a decent person who helped people out as much as I could…and, obviously, a Trillick man.”