Celebrity Survivor Biographies

Mario Lemieux,
Hall of Fame Hockey Player & Pittsburgh Penguins Owner

Mario Lemieux, Canadian-born American Hockey legend, was diagnosed with Lymphoma in January of 1993, forcing him only to miss two full months to pursue radiation treatment.  With only a few months remaining in the season, "Super Mario" came back to take the league scoring championship and be named Most Valuable Player.

At the beginning of the 1992-93 season,  Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins had reached the peak of his game, scoring at a pace to beak Gretzky's record of most goals and most points in a season. New NHL rules against interference gave "Super Mario" more time and more room to maneuver. Lemieux scored an impressive 32 points in the first ten games. Only a few months into the season, a lump appeared on Lemieux's lower neck. A biopsy by Dr. Burke diagnosed Mario with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Lemieux was put on a regiment of radiation treatments to treat the malignancy.

"I'm very positive," Lemieux said in a press conference held Friday, January 8, 1993, "I'm a positive person by nature and that's not going to change in the future even though I have Hodgkin's. That's not going to change my life and the way I live my life. Certainly it's going make it tougher for the next couple of months but that's life sometimes. Sometimes in life you have to go through some tough periods and certainly I haven't been too fortunate the last few years with my back surgery, back infection, recurrence of back problems, and my hand broken in the playoffs last year. But it's a tough sport and sometimes you have to go through some injuries and climb the mountain. This is certainly another mountain that I have to climb."

Mario, armed with a positive outlook, was anxious to make his return even before the radiation treatments were completed. Of course, Team doctors denied his request. On March 2, 1993, Mario received the last of the radiation treatments and returned to his teammates to face the Flyers in his first game back. Mario  skated out to a 90-second standing ovation from the Philadelphia fans. At the beginning of the second period he scored a goal, later he added an assist. The Penguins lost the game 5-4. That same season, In 16 games between March and April, Mario scored 27 goals, 24 assists for 51 points, an average of more than three points a game. Mario finished the season with 69 goals 91 assists and 160 points in only 60 games. Mario had completed one of the best seasons of his career, leading the league in scoring and being awarded MVP. 

Exhausted by the cancer and his back problems, Lemieux left the game of Hockey in 1997 at the pinnacle of his career. On the ice, "Super Mario" will be remembered as the greatest break-away scorer of all time. For his courage, Mario Lemieux will always have a place in all of our hearts.