Above: Larry Holliday returns to the ice cancer-free in Tucson, Arizona, in June 2024
By Aviva M. Cantor
Larry Holiday knows a thing or two about making history.
He holds a record for winning the most championship masters junior-senior men’s national titles (six). And in 2002, Holliday forever changed the adult skating landscape when he became the first person to land a triple jump — the triple Salchow — at the Adult Championships.
“It was so unreal and I didn’t know how historic it was,” Holliday recalled.
Since that monumental triple Salchow, several have followed in Holliday’s footsteps as the caliber of adult skating has continued to increase. His legacy paved the way for multiple athletes to land triple Salchows, triple toe loops and triple loops in recent years.
A lifelong Chicagoan, Holliday discovered the sport in his youth while attending a sleepover at the Hancock Building.
“I just happened to look out the window and there it was — an outdoor rink!” Holliday said.
Holliday has deep roots in the city where it all began, and as a coach he has made sizable contributions to the local skating scene. Ultimately, it would be a hospital in Chicago that saved his life.
In spring of 2023, Holliday suddenly struggled to walk normally and had trouble writing. The first hospital he visited found a large brain tumor caused by primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma.
Holliday had surgery but wasn’t responding well to chemotherapy. After Holliday’s kidneys broke down, his brother took him for a second opinion at the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Northwestern Medicine neuro-oncologist Karan Dixit, MD, worked with oncologist Jonathan Moreira, MD, to create a treatment plan.
Dr. Dixit explained, “Larry has primary CNS lymphoma. It’s a rare variant (4-6% of lymphoma cases) of an aggressive B-cell lymphoma that only impacts the nervous system. His treatment began with an induction chemotherapy regimen using a backbone of high-dose methotrexate, which led to complete remission. This was followed by high-dose chemotherapy with an autologous stem cell transplant.”
Lymphoma and a significant kidney injury were a tricky combination for Holliday’s medical team to tackle.
“If not handled delicately, [the kidney injury] would have made it impossible to complete the most-effective chemotherapy regimen,” Dr. Dixit said. “We were able to safely [treat] him with chemotherapy without any repeat kidney damage.”
Dr. Morreira’s role involved administering high-dose chemotherapy treatments.
“We used very high doses of chemotherapy to wipe out any residual cancer cells that may not have been eliminated by the methotrexate-based therapy,” Dr. Morreira said. “Because this is also toxic to normal bone marrow cells, we harvested Larry's own hematopoietic stem cells from his bone marrow and re-infused them after he completed [the chemotherapy treatments] in the hospital. This allowed Larry to regrow his bone marrow.”
Holliday spent four weeks hospitalized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital before he was discharged.
“Larry was humble, attentive and eager to move forward with treatment as quickly as possible,” Dr. Morreira said. “I have no doubt that Larry’s training as an elite athlete gave him the preparation needed to not just proceed with the transplant, but to excel through it. His history as an athlete was a major reason that we felt he could physically withstand this very intense and challenging cancer treatment.”
Today, Holliday is cancer-free and back on the ice in his new home of Tucson, Arizona. He visits Chicago every three months for follow-up appointments.
Regarding Holliday’s time at Northwestern, Dr. Dixit said, “When I initially met Larry, he was a shell of a person, which is what happens when cancer affects the brain. But soon after he started treatment with us, we quickly saw a turnaround with significant improvements.”
Holliday’s quick return to the ice surprised his medical team.
“I was absolutely shocked when I heard that he was already back to skating,” Dr. Dixit said. “It made me reevaluate my own physical activity. It’s really a pleasure to see people thrive after being diagnosed with such a rare and devastating disease.”
Holliday is thrilled to have returned to the sport he loves — the sport where he made history — and his remarkable story is in no way finished.
“Being off the ice for five months was rough, but when I got back on, it was heaven,” Holliday said. “I’m managing the situation well, but only performing up to a single Axel at the moment. You can look for me next year at the 2025 Adult Championships.”
Editor’s note: September is Lymphoma Awareness Month. Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the cells of the lymph system, which is part of the immune system that helps the body fight infection and disease.
