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Then & Now: Scott Hamilton
 World champion figure skater Scott Hamilton tells CNN skating got him through his last cancer experience. SPECIAL REPORTYOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- In 1984 figure skater Scott Hamilton wowed the world with his intricate footwork and perfect jumps in winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The diminutive athlete dominated the sport in the 1980s, also winning four world figure skating championships. Today, Hamilton is a cancer survivor who battled back after grueling medical treatments to stun audiences with performances on the ice that showcase his athleticism and will. "You know, it's funny ... skating has always given me life," Hamilton told CNN. But it was not always clear that this accomplished skater would be an athlete of any sort. Hamilton grew up in Bowling Green, Ohio, after being adopted by a schoolteacher couple when he was just weeks old. He was a scrawny, sickly child. When he was about 2 years old Hamilton stopped growing. His concerned parents consulted doctor after doctor seeking answers to their son's health problems. In and out of hospitals, Hamilton was misdiagnosed many times; the doctors who examined the feeble boy were confounded by his condition. Only on Saturdays, when Hamilton would accompany his brother and sister and other neighborhood children to the Bowling Green State University ice rink, would his condition improve. He would don a pair of skates, glide onto the ice and spin circles around the larger, stronger children. He found natural agility in his slight frame. "You know, when I was sick as a young child I found skating and it got me through that illness," he said. By the time Hamilton was in high school he was competing and winning skating competitions. In 1976 he won the National Junior Championship. From October 1980 to March 1984 Hamilton skated undefeated, managing to cement his style on the ice: part showman, part tap dancer, part high jumper. Discouraged by the lack of commercial exposure for male professional skaters, Hamilton flexed his newfound muscle in business, as well. He created his own touring company, Smucker's Stars on Ice, and enlisted some of the finest names in the sport to join him. The 2005 Stars on Ice cast list includes Olympic champions Ilia Kulik, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Alexi Yagudin. At the height of his career, though, Hamilton faced the greatest threat to his dominance when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his abdomen. "Even though I had tried to mentally prepare myself for bad news, there was no damming up the flood of emotions roaring through my body," Hamilton wrote in his autobiography, "Landing It: My Life on and Off the Ice." "You get philosophical ... There's always a bigger fish, you know? And it's hard to feel sorry for yourself when you know other people are going through things much worse than you are," Hamilton told CNN. He endured exhaustive rounds of treatments, including surgery and chemotherapy, before making his skating comeback. In 1997 skating pals Brian Boitano, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Kristi Yamaguchi, Kurt Browning and others saluted the champion with the televised skating special "Scott Hamilton: Back on the Ice." Scott made a triumphant return to the rink, even gutting out his trademark back flip. But his experience with cancer left him with a sense of compassion for others fighting the disease. He founded a non-profit organization, the Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative, which promotes cancer research and education. The organization created a Web site, chemocare.com, designed to educate cancer patients about the side effects of chemotherapy treatment. It provides answers to insurance questions and advice about eating habits during treatment. Last year another health challenge threatened; Hamilton was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. He remains undaunted as he undergoes treatment. "It's focused me spiritually," he said. "So it's been an amazing experience and one that I probably wouldn't trade for anything in the world. ... Skating got me through my last cancer experience ... I really feel like the only way for me to get back to my best health would be get back on the ice." Hamilton, 46, lives with his wife, Tracie, and their son, Aidan, in California. "With my brain tumor I'm hoping that I can really find ...what I can do with this to really help others. Because every day is what you make it, and every day is a gift," he 
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