Rugby players are often described as warriors, praised for their strength and determintion in the face of adversity. But Jillion Potter, the captain of the USA sevens team that will play at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, has taken it to another level. Not even a broken neck or a rare form of cancer that required a gruelling course of chemotherapy and radiation treament could stop her.

“Rugby has taught me about mental toughness, discipline, hard work and integrity. All of those things played a role in how I beat cancer”

Incredibly, Potter played in the 2013 Rugby Sevens World Cup despite having already been diagnosed with a tumour in her mouth. However, the diagnosis had underestimated the gravity of the illness, which got worse until it was identified as stage III synovial sarcoma.

“When I was diagnosed I was shocked but I didn’t cry for a while,” she said. “All I knew was that I didn’t want to tell my mom, because that’s just not something you want to tell your mom. That was the first thing that broke me down.”

This #WarriorCrushWednesday goes out to @jillppotts , who wrapped up treatment this month! http://t.co/XL64ek5JI0 pic.twitter.com/ja0AZSPBeh

— Everyday Warrior (@EverydayW4RRIOR) 15 abril 2015

Beating cancer, after eight months of treatment, was not even Potter’s first triumph over serious ill health. Having started out in rugby union, the traditional 15-player version of the sport, she progressed through the US programme to the senior team, before a fracture in her C-5 vertebra ruled her out of the 2010 World Cup.

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Not long after her comeback, Potter switched to the seven-a-side version of the game that will make its Olympic debut in Rio this August. In Brazil this weekend for the São Paulo leg of the World Sevens Series, Potter’s inspirational story has been told in the following video released by World Rugby:

INSPIRATIONAL: @USASevensRugby captain Jillion Potter tells the remarkable story of how she beat cancer #RoadtoRiohttps://t.co/OESXZSn4xZ

— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) 16 fevereiro 2016

Now aged 29, Potter said she got hooked on rugby in large part because of the special global community that has been created by the sport. This sense of solidarity was never clearer than when players from across the planet produced this video to express their support of Potter, raising nearly US$30,000 thorugh crowdfunding to help pay for her treatment.

Having completed her treatment last spring, Potter showed trypical grit and battled to secure her place back in the US team, with the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on her mind.

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, she achieved her goal, and returned in time for the start of the current season, which began in Dubai last December.

Potter in action against Ireland in the Dubai stage of the 2005/16 Women's Sevens Series (Photo: World Rugby)

Potter and Co booked their place in Rio last June by winning their contintental qualifier, thrashing Mexico 88-0 in the final. Check out the highlights of that match:

HIGHLIGHTS #ICYMI @USAWomens7s book ticket to @Olympics with @TeamUSA set to compete @Rio2016 #RugbySevenshttps://t.co/lSm90cFwUo

— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) 15 junho 2015