Inside Former Olympian Scott Hamilton's Health Issues

There are plenty of Olympians who have faced major health battles, and former Olympic ice skater Scott Hamilton is one of them. The famous athlete has been plagued by illness since he was a child. In a 2024 interview on "The Jennifer Hudson Show," Hamilton disclosed that he became very familiar with hospitals from a young age. "I was sick as a kid. Four years in and out of hospital," he told Hudson. Starting ice skating during that time kept him going. Hamilton did not disclose what exactly ailed him as a kid, but unfortunately, the Olympian would continue to face health struggles throughout his life.

In 1997, Hamilton received troubling news — doctors had diagnosed him with testicular cancer. He was, in many respects, lucky. The Cleveland Clinic notes that this type of cancer is rarely deadly if diagnosed early, and the former Olympian underwent surgery and additional treatment. Before the year was out, he was in remission. Alas, it would not be his last cancer scare. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2004 and underwent treatment, only to have it return in 2010. Neither of these tumors turned out to be cancerous. The surgery for the second tumor came with complications, however, which required nine subsequent surgeries after doctors damaged an artery in Hamilton's brain.

Hamilton wasn't keen on going through the whole saga again when the benign tumor made a third appearance in 2016. Speaking to People in February 2024, he explained why he decided not to undergo treatment this time around. "All I felt was just, don't worry about this. Just go home and get strong," he told the outlet.

Scott Hamilton's condition has been one of those celebrity health struggles that flew completely under the radar, thanks to his optimistic outlook on the whole affair. He once quipped, "I have a unique hobby of collecting life-threatening illness" (via Us Weekly). He joined the list of stars who have been open about their health issues when he spoke candidly about the reality of living with a brain tumor in a November 2025 interview with People. "I mean I'm on medication for the rest of my life — but that's okay," he conceded. "Life is great."

The Cleveland Clinic notes that benign brain tumors progress slowly, and patients often don't experience any symptoms unless the tumor becomes big enough to press on areas of the brain that affect certain bodily functions. Patients often start to experience weak muscles, headaches, hearing loss, loss of smell, issues with their memory, loss of vision, and seizures when the tumor grows bigger. So far, Hamilton doesn't appear to experience any debilitating symptoms.

The Olympic ice skater has also opted to turn his pain into power. He hosts a fundraiser, Scott Hamilton & Friends, every year to raise money for cancer research. He hopes that one day treatments that are less debilitating for cancer patients will become the norm. "We like to partner with like-minded organizations to elevate specific cancer research — immunotherapy, targeted therapy, proton therapy — anything that will treat the cancer and spare the patient harm," he clarified. Aside from using his condition to raise awareness and help cancer patients, Hamilton's condition has also helped him grow in his faith. "It's just changed my life forever and for the better," he told E! News. "I don't sweat the small stuff anymore."