Isaiah Johnson, 13, is a teenager who was born without legs. He always wanted to be a basketball player and he succeeded. Today, he is an indispensable member of the team, highly regarded on the player’s team and is quite skilled on his school’s team. He even refuses to play in his wheelchair. He wants to be on par with everyone else.
As a child, Isaiah was a gymnast, but his true passion has always been basketball. His mother Whitney talks about the child as a confident, stubborn and determined person. It was these qualities that got him on the basketball team. And today he is applauded by the stadiums where he performs. His mother is very proud of her son and explains that he loves competition.
If something comes too easy for him, he just won’t do it. Johnson doesn’t like indulgences. He was selected on an equal basis with everyone else, relying only on his professional skills, not his special position. He didn’t want it to be the deciding factor for the coach about his candidacy. That’s exactly what happened. His coach claims that he did not indulge the young athlete and he made the team by performing on an equal footing with everyone else.
He turned down the wheelchair because it would be easier for him to move and he’d have an advantage over the others. He doesn’t want that. Eventually Isaiah became a really good player. He is constantly working on himself and improving the skills he needs in the game. He is a true professional and is very much appreciated on the team. By giving up his wheelchair, he uses his position on the ground to his advantage. He can take the ball, control it, dribble, and pass better that way. It is very difficult for an opponent to deprive him of the ball.
Isaiah admits that people feel sorry for him when they see him. It upsets him a lot. He doesn’t want to be pitied, but to be seen as just a player on the team without any physical handicap. And the young guy proves every day that he deserves his place on the team for a reason. During one of his last games, he got the goals and scored a crucial 3-point shot in the final seconds.
Isaiah’s story is inspiring. It proves once again that you can achieve anything if you want to and despite the challenges that the environment and physiology throws at you.