This was a paper I wrote for English, the quotes and some details are from the article written about Landon... cuz he is a 17 year old boy that didnt want to go into detail about his emotions haha but the rest I gathered from talking to my mom and from what I watched him go through. He is one of my hero's and watching him play is one of my favorite things to do... in other words this is the Landon Rushton I know, and this is who I see when he steps on the court.
The ball lands in his hands after being flung into the air by a teammate. He palms the leather, his fingers running over the ridges grooves and laces, its familiar bumps comfortable to his touch. The look on his face in that moment defines him. The slight flash of insecurity is consumed by a smirk and confidence as his feet pound the floor staring down the sad opponent who dare take him on. For those that get to watch him play he is captivating, moving with such precision it appears as smooth well-rehearsed dance steps. Demonstrating years of practice and hard work encompassed by his drive and pure passion for the adrenalin rush he gets from driving to the basket, to hearing the starting gun ring or to blocking a field goal. Looking at him his peers see a normal jock, a regular teen, lucky to have so much talent. Girls want to catch his eye, his coaches and teammates respect him and the young boys in the crowd want to emulate him when they grow up. People see him as a big shot, a jerk by some, nothing special to his critics, and stuck up to those that don’t know him. But if you watch him play, Landon, will tell you all you need to know about the battle he faced to even be allowed to crouch in those starting blocks, square up to the basket or join a huddle.
Even before he emerged into this world his parents were told that his heart would cause him problems. This proved true at five days old when the right side of Landon’s aorta – the large artery leading out of the heart – was completely closed, and he had to be rushed into emergency surgery so blood flow could be reestablished. Before he turned four he had yet another surgery, and doctors informed his parents that he would probably have to undergo more surgeries in the future. Along with this news came his restriction, his doctor insisted that “he shouldn’t play sports due to the risk his heart imposed”. Yet not even four days after his heart surgery four year old Landon was found running wild around his house like an animal finally released from a cage. His too large purple basketball jersey hanging down to his scrawny knees, ball in hand, trying to fling his body in the air high enough to dunk on the kids hoop in his basement. From then on his mom knew that they “just couldn’t keep him from sports”. His parents decided that as long as he wanted to they weren’t going to restrict him from trying anything. So he was signed up and he poured his heart into being the best he could, always practicing and embracing everything he was taught. Landon has a natural talent and a knack for understanding and applying the important details of any sport. He works hard and refuses to lose.
The argument of him playing sports was officially addressed when high school approached. He had played almost everything under the sun, football, soccer, baseball, track and basketball as a kid, yet going into high school meant more exertion, harder work and more strain on his heart. At his checkup there was talk about possibly needing a stent implant and a specialist recommended that Landon “not do anything” as far as physical activity goes. Yet staring into those tear filling puppy dog eyes his parents didn’t have the heart to rob him of the very thing that makes him who he is. He was animate and refused to be told no, he argued with the most stubborn look of determination on his face. So tryouts started, practices after practices followed, a variety of sports were played and Landon the talented athlete was born.
Today as only a seventeen year old junior in high school he stands 5’ 10”, his dirty blond hair easily recognizable, skinny and small in comparison to those he weaves around while in competition. He is a sprinter on the track team, the starting wide receiver and defensive back in football, setting a single-game school record for receiving yards, with 193 yard on five catches. He is the shooting guard for his school, with a season- high 35 points, named MVP in his Conference averaging 20.7 points a game. One of these outstanding performances was actually a basketball game he lost. Down by eighteen points; ball in hand, heart pounding with sweat dripping into his worry filled eyes his drive took over. Sprinting the floor he took command, shouting encouragement and direction at his team to keep their spirits high and to keep them working hard, refusing to roll over and lose. Two steps and then he leaped into the air his right arm extended, shooting the ball at the basket at just the right angle so it bounced off the backboard and into the hoop. He pulled up just short of the guy guarding him for a fade away jump shot and a swish in the net. He scored seventeen points in a row and brought his team back into the game, even taking the lead at one point. Yet sadly they lost by two points. While his teammates hung their heads Landon thought of his favorite quote: “That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning.”
Those that surround him are excited to see all that he will accomplish in the future. Most people don’t know about his heart condition because he doesn’t lean on it as a crutch and refuses to let it stop him from doing just as much work as everyone else. He has been cleared the last seven times he has gone in for a checkup. During one of these doctor visits they performed a stress test to see how his heart preformed while under pressure. Monitors were stuck to his chest, wires and machines populated the area around the treadmill he was placed on. After running faster and faster for an exhausting amount of time the doctors were blown away. His heart was that of a well-trained athlete, surpassing those that were at their athletic peak and were much older. At that point the specialist informed his parents that “staying physically active was probably the best thing he could have done for his heart”. His mom boasts, “It’s been really fun to watch him take that passion and not let anything stop him”.
If you watch him closely as he walks off the court after a hard fought win, examine his face after the last play in the big Friday night homecoming game, or look into his eyes as he tries to regain his breath after a tough run you will see it. It’s the spirit of a fighter. It’s a hunger, a deep rooted love and appreciation for something that was almost inaccessible to him. He was born with a drive and a passion that is not only evident in sports but in all aspect of his life. Win or lose, blowout or nail bitter, it’s always present, his eyes express the joy and gratitude sports enrich his life with. Landon is a boy that refuses to take no for an answer, he doesn’t believe in restrictions and he knows and has confidence in his own strength, always willing to grow and improve. Those that are privileged to have him in their lives know better than to put limits on this kid, because he will exceed them every time. His heart was born with one true love, sports, and the only real problem it has caused is an unyielding determination to play what he loves despite any risks they may cause. As Landon put it “I’m not going to stop until my heart won’t let me”.
