His grandchild gave it to him, the skateboarding legend says, coughing his way through a Zoom conversation from his home in San Diego. Ten years ago, he probably would’ve canceled this interview because of it. But he’s different now, at 57 years old. Healthier, in body and soul.
‘Because I take care of myself in other aspects, that’s allowed me to push through this illness,’ he says.
Part of that health quest includes taking a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test called Cancerguard, from the makers of colorectal cancer screening tool Cologuard. Cancerguard is a blood test that scans for cancer signals, including aggressive ones without other detection options. A positive result requires further testing to confirm a diagnosis. It costs $689. It’s one of several MCED testing options on the market, including Galleri, as people search for ways to get ahead of the disease; 70% of cancer deaths come from those without recommended screening tests. Five cancers in the United States have such tests: breast, colorectal, prostate, cervical and lung cancer (only in high-risk patients).
Hawk took the Cancerguard test earlier this month and is still waiting on his results.
‘I’m thankful to live in this age of modern medicine, that I can get the opportunity to take a test like this,’ he says. His father died of lung cancer at age 72. Is he nervous about the outcome? Absolutely. ‘Wouldn’t everyone be?’ But he’s ‘excited to have this early detection,’ too.
‘I’m not Peter Pan’
Hawk has tried to avoid junk food and soda as he’s aged, and opted for more moderation in his diet. He stays as active as possible.
‘I never exercised outside of just skateboarding up until a few years ago,’ he says, which has helped with stamina, flexibility and overall strength. Breaking his leg around then inspired a major reality check.
‘That was literally the hardest lesson, that I’m not Peter Pan, and if I want to continue to do this at a high level, I have to work outside of just skating,’ he says. He’s a father of six between him and wife Catherine Goodman, not to mention a grandfather. ‘I want to stick around.’ Part of his routine includes stretches to deal with deterioration in his back, and he still skateboards almost daily.
What also happens every day? Random people seeing him in public who don’t believe it.
‘People don’t expect this name or this face to be old,’ he says, ‘and that’s usually what trips people up. I’ve literally had people say, ‘you look like an older Tony Hawk.’ That is literally what I am.’
‘Who knows what the future brings’?
A typical day for Hawk starts early. He wakes up by 6 a.m. He scarfs down eggs and chicken chorizo before working out for about an hour and taking care of business needs: interviews, social media, emails. By mid-morning, it’s time to go skate. Later on in the day he revels in quality family time, including taking care of his grandchild.
This time of year, as Thanksgiving approaches, he’s grateful that his family is happy and healthy and relatively close by: ‘I’m thankful for that, because who knows what the future brings?’
The day of our interview, the immediate future means sneaking in a skate once we wrap. Not even a cold would wipe out those plans.