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Teeing Off "Fore" Testicular Cancer

Updated: Friday, October 19 2012, 08:53 PM CDT
At charity golf tournaments, usually the only things flowing faster than the beer are the mulligans. But unlike on the links, in life - you normally don't get a second shot. 18 year old Justin Salcedo did.

"Every day i wake up, I'm thankful because I'm alive," said Salcedo.

In January, during his junior year in high school, Salcedo was diagnosed with stage four testicular cancer.

"Sometimes I had to cry to just get it out, and it felt good," Salcedo said.

He started the first of his six rounds of chemo in February, but not before scoring 25 points in his final basketball game before treatment.

"I asked my Doctor is it okay if i play my last game, even though (I was sick)," said Salcedo. "And he said yes you won't hurt it anymore, so I just went all out and I was just everywhere."

Salcedo put the full court press on his disease and in July, found out he is now cancer free. And Friday at ShadowGlen Golf Club, Matt Ferstler, the CEO and Founder of Single Jingles - a testicular cancer foundation, was hoping to drive awareness of TC.

"The numbers are huge," said Ferstler. "The number one cancer of men 15-to-35. That stops you right in your tracks."

Even BEVO was on hand to help steer men in the right direction about their health. When detected early, 99 percent of those diagnosed with testicular cancer survive it.

"If we can get every guy in the United States to check themselves once every month, then we can catch it early and have zero deaths from the disease," Ferstler said.

Ferstler is a cancer survivor himself and with inspiring tales like Justin's - hopes to raise awareness for TC. Everybody's got a good golf story, but Friday at ShadowGlen none were better than the success story of defeating cancer.Teeing Off "Fore" Testicular Cancer