Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer is once again competing in endurance sports after being diagnosed – and then declared free of – incurable brain cancer.

Professor Scolyer, who shared the national honour with his Melanoma Institute Australia colleague Georgina Long, has represented his country almost a dozen times in contests across the globe.

Weeks after competing in the World Multisport Championships last year he suffered a seizure, which led to a diagnosis of brain cancer.

The 57-year-old was told he had months to live, but undertook a revolutionary treatment that led to his recovery a year after the grim prognosis.

Earlier this month he placed 11th in his age group in the aquathlon and 20th in the duathlon at the 2024 World Multisport Championships in North Queensland.

“I feel very, very fortunate to still be able to compete … after all that I’ve been through so far,” Professor Scolyer said.

Professors Scoyler and Long were named the 2024 Australians of the Year for creating a groundbreaking treatment for deadly melanoma skin cancers.

The treatment involves immunotherapy before the removal of a melanoma and is similar to the method used on Professor Scolyer’s aggressive brain tumour.

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“Unfortunately, it’s the worst of the worst when it comes to brain cancer,” he said.

Despite his diagnosis, scans revealed no recurrence of the cancer earlier this year.

Professor Scolyer said exercise and sport had aided his recovery and allowed his family to spend time together.

“[It’s] an opportunity to create memories which will live on for however long I’m alive,” he said.

‘Leaning on each other’

The decision to return to competition came as a surprise to Professor Scolyer’s family.

“There was definitely a little bit of apprehension at first,” his daughter Emily Scolyer said.

“He loves to get out and do everything and compete and race and train.”

Ms Scolyer said she was devastated to hear her father sound defeated after the diagnosis.

“We really got through it by leaning on each other,” she said.

Ms Scolyer and her younger brother, Matthew, competed alongside their father in the duathlon sprint and aquathlon events this year.

They were among 3,000 athletes from Europe, North and South America, and Africa competing in the World Multisport Championships in Townsville.

But for them it was not about winning medals.

“It made it a little bit easier knowing that my brother and I were going to be able to compete with dad, keep an eye on him,” she said.

“Competing with dad is so special.”

Ms Scolyer is studying at the Australian National University to join the medical field.

“I’m so proud of him and so are my siblings and my mum as well,” she said.