"It was the hope of getting back on the court:" GW basketball player Garrett Johnson on journey through chemo
GW basketball player survives cancer and gets back on the court
The George Washington Revolutionaries are 3-0, but as impressive as they've been on the court, it's the story of one of their student-athletes that is really garnering attention. FOX 5's Chad Ricardo spoke to Garrett Johnson about his journey.
WASHINGTON - George Washington University's basketball team started the season 3-0, including victories over William & Mary and Hofstra. As impressive as the Revolutionaries have been on the court, it’s the story of redshirt freshman Garrett Johnson that is generating national attention.
During his senior year at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Johnson, just months away from fulfilling his dream of playing college basketball at Princeton, began feeling tightness and discomfort in his hip. Johnson’s parents took him to a doctor for an MRI and CT scan and hours later, the doctors called to inform them Garrett had a rare benign tumor in his hip.
Though not cancerous, the tumor was potentially harmful and it sat near Garrett’s sciatic nerve, making movement challenging – a devastating blow for a basketball player.
Following a series of treatments, Johnson’s medical team decided infusion chemotherapy would be necessary. Two and a half years, and nine chemotherapy sessions later, Johnson returned to the court on November 6, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds in the Revolutionaries' season-opening win. The game was played just six months after Johnson’s final treatment.
In his toughest moments, Johnson said it was the thought of returning to the court and his love for the game that got him through.
"It was really just the hope of getting back out on the court. It's something I've done my whole life. I had no plans of stopping it just because of what I was facing," said Johnson. "I tried to keep my head space okay by staying in the gym. Even though I wasn't able to play in a team environment and the tumor itself stopped me from doing the athletic movements I was used to doing, I just did what I could every day, whether that was just taking 500 free throws or getting in the weight room and working on my upper body, I just did what I could so that one day I'd be able to be back on the court."
In 2019, Johnson was the Concorde district player of the year and All-Region student-athlete at Oakton High School. In 2020, he transferred to Episcopal High where he earned first team All-IAC honors.