UNC Diver Emily Grund Declared Cancer Free

University of North Carolina diver and 2014 USA Diving Junior National Champion Emily Grund has announced that she is cancer-free. In September 2021, Grund was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL), a rare form of cancer. According to the NIH, approximately 1 in 250,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with APL per year. 

Last fall when she shared her diagnosis, she also said she had begun a month-long in-patient chemotherapy treatment. After her announcement via Instagram, swimming and diving programs across the country rallied to send support, even starting the hashtag #WeDiveForEmily. She completed her treatment at UNC Cancer Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC where she will remain in out-patient treatment. 

Since her diagnosis, Grund has become an advocate for UNC Lineberger’s AYA (Adolescent/Young Adult) Cancer Program, which provides psychosocial and medical care for young adults with cancer. She said this program’s counselors helped her through her initial course of treatment and “she [looks] forward to continuing with AYA and sharing [her] story with other student groups at Carolina to help spread awareness for what they offer young people.” 

In addition to continuing to spread awareness for the AYA Cancer Program, Grund is “confident” she will dive again. She has qualified for NCAA Championships in each of her past three seasons. Until she is able to return to competition, she plans to be Carolina Swimming and Diving’s “biggest fan.”