Sitting with his wife of more than 30 years, the former champion driver opened up about the incredibly difficult battle with cancer he is currently fighting.
At the age of 54, John Andretti is in the prime age range for colon cancer – the type he has been diagnosed with. Throughout his interview with WTHR NBC 13, he stresses the undeniable importance of people over 50 getting regular colonoscopies to ensure they are healthy.
Just days ago, Andretti revealed his Stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis to the world and the entire racing community has been reeling from the news since – but Andretti is grabbing the bull by the horns and says he’s not one to back down from a challenge.
“We’re in it to win it, but, this is one race I can’t lose,” Andretti told WTHR. “Now I’m a Stage 4A. There is only a stage 4B from my understanding, so I’m not really excited about that. But the good news is that we are still on the side that has a good chance of being cured.”
Alongside him throughout this entire ordeal has been his beloved wife of more than 30 years, Nancy. Together they both agree that God has blessed them with a magical life that they wouldn’t trade for the world. In one humbling and truly honorable statement, Nancy reveals how she feels about her husband’s battle.
“We’ve lived a really good life,” She said. “We’ve been blessed. We’ve been afforded a really nice life. Our children are happy and safe. I think we’ve had it pretty good. So, I don’t ever say, ‘why us?’”
Andretti, who was first diagnosed in January 2017, has undergone one procedure to remove a cancerous section of his colon which was about 12-14 inches long. He is scheduled for another procedure later this year to remove a portion of his liver which the cancer spread to.
Watch John Andretti’s full interview with WTHR in the video below.
Our thoughts and prayers are with John and the Andretti family as he fights this difficult battle.