The performances by athletes at the Paris Olympics are inspiring to all who watch.

But what inspires the Olympians themselves?

For U.S. women's water polo player Maddie Musselman, the answer is simple: her husband, Patrick Woepse. 

The two met in college at UCLA, where they both played water polo. Last summer, Woepse was diagnosed with NUT carcinoma, which is a rare, aggressive form of Stage 4 lung cancer.

In 2023, Woepse was training to swim the English Channel when he continued to be plagued by a cough. He completed the open water swim and visited the doctor, where he eventually learned the source of his illness. He didn't know it at the time, but Woepse completed the 21-mile swim across the English Channel with Stage 4 cancer.

“All of them have been shocked," Woepse told TODAY.com of the doctor's reactions. "My lung was 98% blocked so I really did it with one lung, which is pretty remarkable,” he says. “It made it harder on myself than I anticipated. But I was in good shape and totally I was where I needed to be to get it done.”

Musselman and Woepse were engaged in June. When they received the cancer diagnosis in September a few months later, one overwhelming question filled Musselman's mind:

"Why would we wait? Why would we wait on something that we know we want to make happen in our lives?"

The two planned a wedding in four days. 

"I wanted him to feel good when we got married," Musselman said in an interview with NBC Olympics. "I wanted him to not be sick." 

The two wrangled together their families, booked a church, ordered rings in three days. Musselman borrowed a white dress — and the wedding was on.

Woepse started chemotherapy two days after. And Musselman has been there for Woepse throughout his medical journey. 

Woepse is enrolled in a clinical trial run by the cancer institute at University of Southern California. His treatment includes over a dozen rounds of chemotherapy and 30 rounds of radiation to his lungs, shoulder and back. Because the cancer has spread to Woepse's bones, he says the radiation has helped lessen some of the pain. Woepse has also undergone eight bronchoscopies, a procedure that helps clear the airways. 

Woepse worked with his doctors to make sure he could support his wife at the Olympics. 

While in Paris, Woepse is continuing to receive treatment. He has to check in with doctors to have bloodwork done. 

“I’ve generally had a good response," Woepse said. "It’s Stage 4 cancer so it has spread to other parts of my body, mainly my bones. All of the treatment I received has stabilized growth with minimal spread. In my mind, I think treatment is going well… [Getting to Paris] was my biggest goal, with everything being so unknown… Couldn’t be more thrilled to be here to support Maddie and the team.”

At 26 years old, Musselman is participating in her third Olympics in Paris. She is a five-time world champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist and was named tournament MVP at the Tokyo Games. 

She is no doubt an inspiration to many. 

But Musselman will always draw her strength from her husband.

"When you look at him and he is just determined," Musselman said. "It's hard to feel sad when he's not. When you have people like that in your circle, the water polo comes a little bit easier than if you didn't have that fire."