Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton lives life 'joyfully' and 'faithfully' after 3rd brain tumor diagnosis

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Former American figure skater Scott Hamilton dedicated his early life to his sport. 

He was rewarded with an incredible winning streak in the early 1980s that saw him win four consecutive U.S. titles and four consecutive world championships. He never lost between 1981 and 1984, and his hard work culminated in a gold medal performance at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

From left to right, Brian Orser, Scott Hamilton and Jozef Sabovcík in the Men's figure skating medal ceremony at the 1984 Winter Olympics / XIV Olympic Winter Games at Zetra Ice Hall in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. (Heinz Kluetmeier /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

Howerver, Hamilton, now 65, has dedicated his post-Olympic life towards a new goal – funding cancer research with the hope of giving people the chance at "a second life," an opportunity he was given many times over. 

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Hamilton opened up about his personal battles with cancer and how his mother’s death at just 18 shaped his mindset early on in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"I was given a chance to skate, and I had to figure out how to do it at a high level," Hamilton said. "My parents ran out of money and somebody stepped in to help me. And so that model of generosity was set in stone. And then I lost my mother to cancer, and I had to wake up and put my big boy pants on, and honor her in everything I did. And that allowed for a winning streak that I never, ever could have imagined."

Hamilton, who was adopted, said that his mother’s death from metastatic melanoma drastically altered his thinking and ultimately opened the door to what