Jack Punswick
“I try to remind people that no matter what they’re facing, there’s always a win to find in the day. Even if it’s something small like showing up, smiling, or just making it through. Those little wins matter.”
In September 2024 and just days after returning from a college recruitment visit, Jack Punswick was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. As a competitive swimmer recently named Kansas High School State Champion and looking forward to future opportunities, he was devastated after hearing the news. “All my goals were put on hold as I had to focus on survival instead,” Jack said. “Every day became a question. How do I keep going, keep living, and keep being me when nothing feels normal anymore?” He adds, “Somehow even when everything felt impossible, hope found a way.”
As Jack underwent treatment, he was determined to not give up on his dreams: “I told my parents, ‘I will beat cancer, and I will defend my state title.’ Swimming through chemotherapy was difficult for Jack, but still, he kept showing up. He’d celebrate wins whether that meant swimming the whole practice or just getting out of bed that day. In December 2024, he competed in his first meet since his diagnosis: “Afterward, I had to be lifted out of the pool by three of my teammates as competing had taken all my strength.” Two months later, he returned to the state meet and came in second individually, third with his team, and “an unofficial first for resilience.” Jack said, “It wasn’t the win I had before, but it meant way more.”
A lesson Jack learned during this time, as he puts it, is a cancer diagnosis is a journey for the entire family. His parents, who are both educators, took time off to care for him and his three siblings rallied around him for support: “My older sister Anna donated 12 inches of her hair to honor me and help other cancer patients, my little brother shaved his head four times in solidarity with me, and my younger sister and her softball team became ‘Team Jack’ for a Stand Up To Cancer softball tournament last fall.”
On April 8, 2025, Jack rang the bell and was considered cancer-free. “This represented the end of one part of this childhood cancer story, yet beginning of another: survivorship.” Jack wants to use what he’s been through to help others. He stands up to cancer for “all the brave heroes battling this terrible disease who are in need of hope.”
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