Beijing --- The easy part comes Tuesday. He only swims.
How did Eric Shanteau put it the other day?
"A lot of times when you get to an event like this, you put too much pressure on yourself," he said. "I kind of have an out in cancer. It keeps things in perspective for me."
Cancer: an out.
He isn't normal. Not so much because he is the only athlete among the 10,694 in Beijing who told the world that he recently been diagnosed with cancer, but because of how he is dealing with it.
The icons the former Parkview High star counts as teammates are awed.
Michael Phelps, a roommate and card-playing partner this week, said, "Having lost my grandmother to cancer, I know it's not an easy battle."
Dara Torres, who made her fifth Olympic team after motherhood at the age of 41, said, "It's amazing to watch. The first couple of days after he told us, you really feel bad for him. Then you almost forget he has it because he doesn't act like there's anything wrong."
The easy part comes Tuesday. Shanteau, who barely missed making the Olympics in 2004, swims his heat of the 200-meter breaststroke.
His hope is that he advances to the semifinals Wednesday and the medal race Thursday.
If he loses, does he really fail? He already has won. Few expected Shanteau to make it here even if completely healthy.
He was diagnosed with testicular cancer June 19.
He won a spot on the Olympic team July 3.
The rest is interest.
When Shanteau swims in two days, his parents, Rick and Janet, and brother, Ryan, will be in attendance.
It would be a special moment for any athlete's father, but particularly Rick. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was given less than year to live. That was over a year ago.
Eric said his own diagnosis has given the two something else to bond over. The son said he "understands a little more" about what his father is going through. Shanteau says his father told him, "You have cancer. Cancer doesn't have you." And that has been his mindset.
He can't guarantee he'll win a medal here. But he doesn't balk when asked about the more important battle.
"When they give you the original diagnosis," Shanteau said, "the first thing that comes in your mind is, 'No way. How is this happening to me? I'm supposed to be one of these elite athletes with an invincible mindset and all of a sudden I've got cancer.' But you have to take ownership of it. I've got it. I accept that. I'm going to beat it. There is no question in my mind."
Doctors tell him that his cancer is slow-growing. His most recent blood tests: encouraging. It's why doctors cleared him to come to China. It's also why Shanteau will remain in Beijing and play tourist for five days even after the 200 breaststroke medal race Thursday.
He's scheduled to return home to Austin, Texas, on Aug. 20, and then fly to Atlanta and likely have surgery that following week at Emory.
But Shanteau can't deny he has had his share of "Why me?" moments.
"What I show the general public is the positive," he said. "But I am human and this has been a roller-coaster ride. This isn't the flu, it's cancer. So when I am in those down times, I look to [teammates] to help me. It is on my mind constantly. I can't help that."
Among those he has heard from is Lance Armstrong, who is somewhat of an expert on matters of disease and resolve. "I looked up to him even before I was diagnosed," Shanteau said.
"When you've got someone like that supporting you, it's pretty cool."
But this celebrity status can be dizzying. Shanteau has been overwhelmed by the attention.
It was no more evident than during a camp in Palo Alto, Calif., following the Olympic Swim Trials, which was his first exposure to the media since releasing the news to a wire service.
"We were talking on the phone when he was out there," said Chris Davis, a close friend and Shanteau's former coach at Swim Atlanta. "He told me when they were all in the pool, 'There was one TV camera on Dara Torres' lane, one on Michael Phelps' lane and 13 in my lane.' He couldn't believe it."
He had considered not going public. But some in his close circle, including Davis, already knew. So he figured he would get out front.
He met with U.S. swim officials and then broke the news to his teammates.
"When he told us," Torres said, "we were all pretty much shocked. You could hear a pin drop in the room."
Roswell's Kathleen Hersey, another first-time Olympian, called Shanteau "courageous" and marveled at the way he handled things in the team meeting.
"He said, 'I want you to hear it from me, rather than from anyone else. I'm sure there are a lot of people you will hear stories from. What you need to know is that it's something I'm dealing with, I'm still working hard and I'm going to do whatever I can to handle this the best way.
"I just can't imagine being at an all-time high, for having made the Olympic team, and then having something like that happening. He's just dealing with it so well. He really is a hero."
On Tuesday, he swims. Win or lose, he inspires. They should give medals for this.
Copyright 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution