SCOTTISH swimmer Archie Goodburn is hoping he can overcome his cancer diagnosis to compete at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The 23-year-old has been taking life “day to day” since the “utter shock” of learning last year that he has three incurable brain tumours.

Goodburn has continued swimming and finished runner-up in the men’s 50m breaststroke at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in April.

Asked about his goals and ambitions in an interview with BBC Scotland, the 2022 Commonwealth Games contestant said: “It’s day to day, it’s putting one foot in front of the other.

“One of the most important things for me is trying to stay present, trying to wake up in the morning and, you know, think about how much is my day going to be affected today, and if I can say the answer to that is not too much, then that’s a huge positive for me to take away.

“I want to keep going for as long as I can. I want to be in Glasgow in the next Commonwealth Games. I’m extremely fortunate that my biopsy didn’t leave me with any permanent side effects.

“My brain tumour symptoms are manageable at the moment via anti-epileptic drugs, and I can live a pretty normal life at the moment.

“But that’s not to say that that’s something that’s going to last, and it won’t be something that lasts.”

Goodwin, whose neurosurgeon says the prognosis can vary from three years to 20, was tearful as he discussed his harrowing predicament.

“I get my strength from my family and my girlfriend, and ultimately just dreaming of my future, I think,” he said. “I see the future in different ways, on different days. Days where I wake up from bed, feeling positive and knowing that things are coming and hoping that things are going to be out there.

“Other days, my eyes open and I realise that I have a brain tumour, I have brain cancer, and there is an end point to my life, and it’s much, much earlier than it should be.”

Goodburn intends to raise awareness of brain cancer.

“I’m fortunate in the position where I haven’t been diagnosed with a glioblastoma,” he said. “I don’t have 12 to 16 months. I may have considerably longer than that.

“Often people don’t get anywhere near as long as I get when they’re diagnosed with brain cancer, and they’re not really in a position where they’re going to want to spend their time raising awareness. They’re going to want to spend their time living each day as it comes to making the most of every hour they have.

“I realise now that I’m in a position now with my sport, with my diagnosis, that I have time to raise awareness and shout about this horrible disease that does take so many lives.”