Randle celebrates six months post-cancer treatment
Tickford Racing’s newest full-time recruit Thomas Randle is celebrating six months since his completing his last round of treatment for testicular cancer.
The significant personal milestone comes two weeks after it was announced he is set to make a full-time step up to the Repco Supercars Championship in 2022 with Tickford Racing.
WATCH: RANDLE ON HOW HE PULLED OFF THAT OVERTAKE
The 2020 Dunlop Super2 Series champion, who is in remission from testicular cancer, finished his last round of chemotherapy on New Year’s Day, following a 12-month battle against the disease.
Randle who has since completed two rounds as a wildcard entry for the Melbourne-based team, commented a lot had changed in his life in the past six months.
“To say I’ve done two Supercars rounds solo is pretty cool,” Randle told Supercars.com.
“It’s certainly something I’m not taking it for granted.
“A lot has happened, I’ve completed the S5000 championship, I was runner up and won the first round.
"Two Supercars wildcard rounds and a Sports Sedan race, a semester of university, announced my full-time seat with Tickford and built a simulator.
"The simulator's not completely finished but I’m getting there."
The rising star announced he had been diagnosed with cancer in January 2020 and underwent surgery to remove a tumour a week later.
More challenges followed, with the 25-year-old having a particularly tough end to last year as he completed two cycles of chemotherapy following “complex abdominal surgery”.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life,” Randle said.
“During the process, the days went by so slow but now it’s pretty incredible to think that six months have passed.
“I haven’t had much of a break, but it’s nice to be doing things.
“I feel fine, I feel back to normal, I’m certainly thankful for all the people that have treated me, oncologists’ doctors, nurses, my family and supporters.
A warm, happy and positive person in the paddock, Randle has continued to impress on track, most recently pulling off a Daniel Ricciardo-like overtake on Anton De Pasquale in the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown finale, after netting ninth in Race 12 on Saturday.
Randle was a standout at the OTR SuperSprint, again avoiding drama in the first Sunday race to finish eighth.
De Pasquale and Randle drag on the straight
“When you go through a major health challenge, it puts life not necessarily in question, but you step back and think what is important in life,” said Randle.
“Firstly family and those that surrounded me with love and support, but also, my own hopes and aspirations and what do I think is important to me.
“I’ve wound up in the seat of a race car, so I think I know what I want to do in life.
“Going through what I went through certainly helped when I’m presented with other challenges in life, it certainly can’t be worse than what I went through back then.
“My outlook on a lot of things is there are people that are going through a lot worse things in life.
“And a bad day at the race track is still a very, very good day because there are so many people who would love to be doing what we are doing.
“That’s the way I would like to look at it, I’m certainly very thankful to be where I am. I’m extremely grateful to be in the position I'm in."
Randle at the OTR SuperSprint
Randle, who will co-drive for Tickford Racing at October’s Repco Bathurst 1000, continues to raise awareness about testicular cancer.
“The message is that if you feel something not quite right, don’t hold back, have the courage to seek out your GP and medical professional that’s what they’re trained in,” Randle added.
“It’s the same with a race car, if there’s a problem, you get it diagnosed and fix it.
“Our human body is not much different, and it could be the difference between saving your life.
“We are seeing it more and more these days if you can pick it up early the odds of it cured or going into remission are much, much higher.”
