Posted at: 01/27/2010 9:40 PM | KSAX.com

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KMS Senior Uses Passion for Wrestling to Overcome Cancer

KERKHOVEN, Minn.- Kurt Timmons has always been the little guy on the wrestling mats. In his senior year at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg High School he weighs in around 110 pounds. But it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

"His strength and quickness, and he's just a powerful young man" KMS wrestling head coach Wes Haglund says.

Kurt has put together 121 wins over his career at KMS with 70 of those being from pins. But Kurts toughest opponent wasn't on the mat, in sixth grade he was diagnosed with cancer.

"On May 24, 2004 I was diagnosed with cancer" senior Kurt Timmons explains. "That was kind of a shock, I was a pretty healthy kid back then."

"The doctor said that if we don't start chemo soon, within ten days your going to suffocate to death." Timmons explains about the cancer in his neck and chest.

Kurt didn't take the life changing news lying down. The chemo therapy took him out of wrestling for two years but he kept his morale high and used the wrestling program to help him get through a tough time in his life.

"The team supported me through my tough times. I stayed along side them in wrestling, they let me be the team manager for the high school" Timmons says.

He is now completely healthy and back on the mats for his senior year and is looking to end the year strong.

"One of his goals was to get healthy and back on the mat because he loved wrestling" coach Haglund says.

Written for the web by Tony Seeman

aseeman@ksax.com