LSU soccer player reveals how she got terrifying cancer diagnosis after thinking she was just 'unfit'

A 19-year-old Louisiana State soccer player has opened up about her battle with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma after mistaking chronic fatigue for poor conditioning.

‘I just thought that I was unfit and needed to run and lift more and practice harder,’ Lady Tigers freshman goalkeeper Rylie Kuyper told People after a series of revealing TikTok posts about her diagnosis.

Kuyper discovered a small lump on her breast in December, but it wasn’t until March 12, when she found another on her neck, that she decided to seek medical attention.

Initially, doctors believed the neck lump was a swollen lymph node while labelling the breast lump as ‘fibrosis.’ But not wanting to take any chances, Kuyper was quickly scheduled for a needle biopsy and CT scan despite a looming conditioning test in Baton Rouge.

Known as the beep test, the soccer team examination is mandatory for all healthy players and is even modified to allow for injured teammates to participate. 

‘I knew something was wrong because I was allowed to miss the beep test and because of how urgently they got me in for the scan,’ Kuyper told People.

Kuyper has taken to posting on TikTok about her experiences with cancer treatment

Adding to Kuyper’s nerves was one exchange with a hospital technician, who admitted to being somewhat bewildered by her scans.

‘That obviously freaked me out a little,’ Kuyper said.

Although Kuyper returned to practice, her peace was short lived. When the training session was completed, an athletic trainer and two doctors informed Kuyper the mass in her chest was likely lymphoma.

As reported by People, Kuyper began to cry in coach Sian Hudson’s arms and, later, with teammate Amy Smith.

Kuyper would go on to call her parents that night and has since taken to posting on TikTok about her experiences with cancer treatment.

Not all of the videos are outwardly sad. One, captioned ‘Family meeting cus I just got diagnosed with cancer,’ features Kuyper dancing in her LSU soccer gear. Curiously, it garnered 31 million views and more than 16,000 comments.

Kuyper is pictured alongside LSU assistant soccer coach Seb Furness in Baton Rouge 

Others, however, are honest expressions of appreciation for her supporters, and in particular, the soccer players, coaches and trainers who have embraced a freshman transfer after only knowing her for a few months.

‘Literally, this has all happened within a week,’ she said from her hospital bed in another video. ‘There’s a saying at LSU that things are just different. And I can’t express enough just how it is different at this school… It feels like a family. My athletic trainer, Miss Hannah [Faldetta], she’s been with me at every appointment.’

At that point, Kuyper began to cry.

‘[Faldetta] sacrificed time away from her family to be here with me,’ Kuyper continued. ‘She doesn’t really have to do that. So, it just means that much more. My coaches have been so understanding. I’ve been going to LSU minicamp since probably eighth grade, so Coach Sian has kind of watched me grow up… This staff is just unreal. It is so family oriented.

‘These girls have only known me three months and my team has gone out of their way to be kind to me and show their support.’

Despite being a freshman transfer who is still new to the team, Kuyper is embraced at LSU

Kuyper is seen with trainer Hannah Faldetta, who used personal time to support the freshman

Kuyper’s roommate even bought them tickets to see country singer Bailey Zimmerman.

She will reportedly need four months of Nivo-AVD chemotherapy as well as three weeks of radiation to battle her specific form of lymphoma.

As for the endurance needed to endure cancer treatment, Kuyper is preparing for it like a sporting event.

‘I am 19 and this is difficult to navigate, so it’s hard for me to picture a younger girl going through it too,’ she told People.

‘I think something as simple as showing up on days you don’t feel like it, pushing yourself even when you didn’t sleep well — that mindset matters. The brain has so much of an effect on your body. Keeping a positive attitude and pushing through the hard times will make this journey a lot better than if I was negative.’

LSU is coming off a 15-6-4 season that ended with a 1-0 loss to SEC-rival Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 16. The Lady Tigers’ 2026 season begins in August.