Canadian Olympic snowboarder Max Parrot diagnosed with cancer

Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Canadian snowboarder Max Parrot, winner of a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics, announced that doctors diagnosed him with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The 24-year-old from Bromont, Quebec, said doctors found the cancer in December after he had a biopsy on a lump on his neck.

Parrot said he'll undergo six months of chemotherapy and will miss the rest of the snowboarding season. He's already undergone an operation to treat the cancer.

"It was tough to hear the news, and it's still hard now," Parrot said during a Thursday news conference.

"The first symptoms appeared when I started scratching my skin repeatedly. It started all the way back in September.

"And then, in November, I realized I had a bump on my neck. I had a swollen gland. I saw my family doctor and he sent me for a biopsy. I received the diagnosis a few days before Christmas, confirming that I had Hodgkin lymphoma."

Parrot won the silver medal in slopestyle at the Pyeongchang Games. He's also won five gold medals at the Winter X Games in the slopestyle and big air competitions.