Former Tyrone GAA star Jody Gormley has revealed he has been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.
The 53-year-old, who shone on the pitch for the Red Hands during the 1990s and helped the county win the Ulster Championship back in the middle of the decade, said he has “no fear of dying”.
The Trillick manager broke the devastating news to his club in the changing rooms following defeat by Errigal Ciaran in the Tyrone Senior Football Championship final last week.
“I have no fear of dying. No fear of dying whatsoever. I’ve felt blessed my entire life,” Gormley said on BBC NI’s The GAA Social podcast.
“The sadness is the people you’re leaving behind.”
Gormley, who helped Tyrone reach the All-Ireland final in 1995 when they lost out to Dublin, expressed sorrow that he will not get to see his family grow up – including his son who is training with Trillick.
“He’s come back after a couple of years, that I’ll not get to see him play and I’ll not get to see my family grow up and mature,” he told hosts Oisin McConville and Thomas Niblock.
“That’s not scary but sad really.
“That’s the reality.
“When you peel it all back, it’s the people close to you that you’re not going to have those experiences with. That is the genuine sadness, there’s no being tough around that, that’s the reality.”
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The manager, who led his side to the Tyrone title last year, suffered a stroke in July while in the gym with his son James in Florida during a family holiday.
Following what he thought was a full recovery, he ended up back in hospital and was told he had stage four liver cancer in September.
Gormley said he feels “fortunate” to be able to say goodbye to his loved ones and said he was moved by the love and respect from friends during a gathering in a Belfast pub.
“I think it’s important, for me anyway, to show that even if you’re facing the ultimate challenge that you can be resilient,” he added.
“It’s important for my family to show strength of character and the people around me. It’s an opportunity for me to show that yeah just because you have a terminal illness doesn’t mean your life is over. I intend to go out with a bang, I’m not going to lie down in the corner.
“People need different role models and I suppose in my role in my life as a teacher and a coach, I’ve had that role. This an opportunity to show that you can keep on going and if somebody finds something of use in it it’s worthwhile.”
Gormley enjoyed a successful inter-county career and has had playing or coaching stints at Antrim, Down, Bredagh and London.
He believes his dedication to sport has equipped him with the strength and resilience he now has to rely on and said “it’s probably tougher on the family”.
“I’d say I’m fairly hard-nosed about stuff,” Gormley said.
“When you’re involved in sport, I think you do develop that resilience over years of training and the different setbacks you meet in sport.”
The life-long sportsman said he would like to be remembered as a “decent person who helped people out as much as I could” including by finding “areas to help people improve, to improve their life and give them a wee nudge in the right direction.”
“And, obviously, a Trillick man,” he added.