Every athlete competing at the Commonwealth Games has surely had to overcome some form of adversity — but it is hard to imagine how anyone would have dealt with more than Archie Goodburn.

The Scottish swimmer was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer in 2024, receiving the news as he battled for a place on the British team for the Paris Olympic Games.

Remarkably, the 25-year-old has continued to compete over the preceding two years and even qualified for a place in the 50m breaststroke final in Glasgow by producing a 27.31sec effort in his semifinal on Monday morning (WA time).

On Tuesday, the local crowd at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre reserved their loudest cheer of the day for Goodburn, whose time of 27.42 was good enough for equal-seventh in a final won by Australia’s Sam Williamson.

Fighting through tears when speaking after the race, Goodburn said the tribulations he had faced in dealing with the disease had put the challenges he had faced as an athlete firmly into perspective.

“Outside the pool, I dream (about) a future where brain cancer isn’t the biggest killer (among cancers) of those under 40, where the UK Government establish a national brain cancer lead, to make that change,” Goodburn said.

“I much prefer that change is made and that dream is complete than any of my personal goals in the pool, because what families and young people are going through out there is, really, beyond the comprehension of many people out there, and certainly harder than anything I’ve had to do as a world-class sportsman.”

Biopsy surgery conducted after Goodburn’s diagnosis led to him being told by doctors he may not live past his forties, but recently receiving access to breakthrough medicine vorasidenib has helped slow the growth of his tumours.

Last year, he told the BBC he wanted to use his platform to “shout about this horrible disease that takes so many lives”.

“Often people don’t get anywhere near as long when they’re diagnosed with brain cancer. They’re not going to want to spend their time raising awareness. They’re going to want to live each day and making the most of every hour they have,” Goodburn said.

“I see the future in different ways on different days. There are days when I wake up feeling positive and hoping things are going to be out there that can help. Other days, my eyes open and I remember I have brain cancer.

“There is an end point to my life and it’s much earlier than it should be.”