by Desmond G. Palmer, posted on 4/19/2011
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Johnson talks to the media
at the 2010 Penn Relays.
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Benjamin Cardozo’s 400m athlete and short sprinter Ahtyana Johnson has a lot for which to be thankful.
After she was diagnosed with aplastic anemia in September, a condition that cut short her senior season, she’s now on her way back and has verbally committed to the University of South Carolina, where she’ll be under the guidance of Curtis Frye, the man whom both her high school coaches Gail Emmanuel and her assistant Ray James believe is the right coach for her in the right atmosphere. Emmanuel further told the media that Johnson’s recovery would be a process.
Johnson’s condition occurred when her body stopped producing enough blood cells, rendering her fatigued and at a higher risk of infections and uncontrolled bleeding. However, treatment has put her on track back to normal life.
According to James, Johnson was barely able to walk up stairs in the fall and was being home schooled. Now, she has returned to some training activities. She has done weight training, work on the elliptical machines and run in the pool, but has yet to take to the actual track, which her doctor has cleared her to do. “She has progressed better than expected and is starting to build up her endurance,” he said.
Johnson, who has Barbadian roots, clocked New York State’s second fastest time in the 400m both indoors and outdoors with marks of 55.02 and 54.17, respectively last season. She had the fourth fastest time (24.14) in the 200m and was also a short sprinter. She was the second leg of Cardozo’s national championship-winning 4x400m relay.
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