‘Beating heart of the team’: swimmer who inspires Duncan Scott and Scotland pool squad

Goodburn, 25, was diagnosed in May 2024 with a rare, inoperable form of brain cancer but has continued to not only swim at an elite level but use his position to advocate for better treatment for others as part of the Brain Cancer Justice Group.

Despite everything he has been through, he still made it to the Commonwealth Games, winning through to the final of the 50 metres breaststroke where he was up against a world-class field which included Adam Ramsay-Peaty, Filip Nowacki and gold medal winner Sam Williamson.

Goodburn said he was disappointed with his seventh-place finish but Scott praised his performance and the impact he has had on the Scottish swimming team.

“He's some boy,” said Scott who won Scotland’s first gold medal of Glasgow 2026 when he triumphed in the 200m individual medley on Friday. “I’ve had the pleasure of being opposite him in the hotel, which has been pretty loud because he's a pretty active guy.

‘A real inspiration’

“He's almost the beating heart of the team, the way that he kind of operates and goes about his daily business.

“I think it's fair to say everyone on the team, and I'd imagine elsewhere, draws inspiration from what he does and what he's going through and showing how proactive he is with it as well. He's a real inspiration.”

Goodburn was given access to Vorasidenib, a breakthrough treatment which allowed him to compete again and delayed the immediate prospect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He was also able to complete his degree in chemical engineering at the University of Edinburgh and graduated earlier this month with first class honours.

He said he will keep on campaigning and took the fight to Westminster earlier this year. Brain cancer is the biggest cancer killer for children and adults under 40, but since 2002 it has received just 1% of the government’s national cancer research budget, and progress is limited in UK drug development for the disease.

Driving change in research

“‘I advocate because I believe my own advocacy can make a difference,” Goodburn said. “The best way I can do that is be positive about the situation.”

Scott, who just missed out on another medal when he finished fourth in the 200m butterfly on Monday evening, said what Goodburn is going through added a sense of perspective to the Games.

“We all go home at night and that's kind of it, but with what he's got, he's living with that 24-7,” said Scott.

“I think you can chat to him just for a couple of minutes and you can get an understanding of how positive he is and the way he wants to try and drive change in the research and in that field as well. So, yeah, he's a brilliant guy. Get anyone to go and chat to him, you know, he's an amazing kid.”