Michael Strahan is making good use of his summer vacation before the busy fall season gets underway.
On the Monday, August 19 installment on Good Morning America, the former NFL star was absent from his usual spot on the desk, which was manned by his co-anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, plus Eva Pilgrim, Deborah Roberts and Will Reeve were also present.
The athlete turned TV host was busy over the weekend with Fanatics Fest in New York City, a first-time sporting extravaganza hosted by Fanatics founder Michael Rubin, the billionaire also known for his annual, star-studded "White Party" in the Hamptons.
In addition to Michael, who spoke on a panel, Tom Brady, Mike Tyson, Peyton Manning, Gayle King, Jay-Z, Alix Earle and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were others in attendance.
It's a busy time for Michael, who with the end of the summer is gearing up to have his twin daughters, Sophia and Isabella, head back to college for their sophomore year.
While Sophia should be heading back to Duke University in North Carolina by the end of the month, it is also a poignant time for the family, as they near the first anniversary since Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, the most common type of cancerous brain tumor in children, back in October of last year.
© GMAIsabella had just started her first year at UCLA when after experiencing some headaches, she was eventually rushed to emergency surgery after doctors found a tumor in the back of her head.
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She subsequently went through months of chemotherapy at Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center in Durham, North Carolina, and concluded her treatment earlier this summer.
© Jose Perez/Bauer-GriffinThough it's unclear where Isabella stands with her studies since having to step away amid her cancer battle, in a previous update on her YouTube, where she documented much of her journey, she mentioned heading back to UCLA, where classes begin in the middle of September.
© InstagramIsabella first announced her cancer diagnosis in a joint GMA interview with her father and his longtime co-host Robin. "I didn't notice anything was off till probably like October 1," she said at the time, noting that her first symptoms were simply headaches, though it then evolved into nausea, and she "couldn't walk straight."
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© InstagramAfter Michael promptly encouraged her to go to the doctor and have a round of tests done, they discovered a fast-growing 4-centimeter tumor — larger than a golf ball — in the back of her head. She has since had two surgeries to remove it.
Michael also shared: "I don't really remember much," adding: "I just remember trying to figure out how to get to L.A. ASAP. And it just doesn't feel real. It just didn't feel real."
