by John Welch

This feature is a continuation of the Front of the Pack article on Greg Losey in the October 2001 issue of Runner Triathlete News. To get the "rest of the story" on Greg Losey, please read the Front of the Pack article in that issue.

Greg Losey, a silver medallist in modern pentathlon at the 1984 Olympics, continues to make strides against the pancreatic cancer that he was diagnosed with in April of this year. Losey, 51, of San Antonio, has regained nearly half of the 50 pounds of body weight that he lost following the discovery of the disease. Losey, who is following a doctor-mandated regimen of supplements containing enzymes and oriental herbs prescribed by Dr. Nicholas Gonzales of in New York City, has remained optimistic about the chances of defeating the disease that claims nearly 100 percent of its victims within six months of detection.

"I'd like to think that I'm a person who's always beaten the odds," said Losey, a San Antonio residential real estate appraiser. "After all, what are the odds of making an Olympic team and winning an Olympic medal? I have found that sometimes we have to think outside of the box if we want to get results. If I trained like everyone else did, I would not have won an Olympic medal at age 34. If I had followed chemotherapy treatments like most cancer patients do, then I'd already be dead."

Besides the Olympic experience, Losey was recently selected to the Inside Triathlon magazine's 2000 All-American Team for triathlon, and was a member of the 2000 Team USA that competed in the ITU World Triathlon Championships. But according to many former members of the U.S. modern pentathlon team, Losey was most instrumental in bringing new competitors into both pentathlon and triathlon.

"Greg, along with his wife Becky, was certainly well known for introducing many kids to the sports of pentathlon and triathlon, and I am truly impressed with how much time and money he (Greg) spent working with newcomers to the sport," said fellow pentathlon Olympian Mike Burley, who is a retired Army lieutenant colonel from Augusta, Ga. "And Greg was certainly one of the most hard working individuals the sport of pentathlon has ever seen. I know that if anyone can beat this thing, Greg can."

Among the athletes Greg introduced to the sport of pentathlon were his sons Adam, 26, and Aaron, 22, both of whom were standout competitors at MacArthur High School in San Antonio. Greg's daughter, Brittany, 11, was currently ranked second overall in her age division among the best swimmers in the Alamo City.

Click here for an update to the Front of the Pack article on Greg Losey