One of the most dominating athletes from the 2011 Georgia Olympics is back for another shot at multiple state titles in 2012. Buford’s Martinez Johnson won a pair of events last year, and his coach said that he has been using weight training in an attempt to better his times from one year ago.
Last year, Johnson swept the 200-meter and 800-meter races in the wheelchair division at the Georgia Olympics. His two wins helped Buford finish third in the team standings, but Johnson is back and eyeing another pair of victories in the 200 and 800 races.
“He is very well rounded and likes to compete. A hard worker,” said David Snell, Buford track and field coach.
In March, Johnson won a GHSA AAASP wheelchair basketball state title with the Gwinnett Heat, and Johnson is looking forward to adding more hardware to his collection. Snell pushes Johnson just as much as he does the rest of the track team.
“He trains using both distance and speed workouts,” said Snell. “I push him by setting up his workouts and keeping him on his times.”
Snell admits that training Johnson isn’t all that different than training the able-bodied members of his team.
“His technique is different,” said Snell. “He has to have a strong upperbody with good endurance.”
Johnson has perfect sitting balance according to Leslie Sweatman of the AAASP. She said that Johnson was born with cerebral palsy which, for Johnson, affects his lower extremities more than his upper extremities. He led all scorers with 14 points in the AAASP basketball championship game, showing that he is indeed strong from the waist up.
He also has a strong support system at Buford.
“His teammates know that he wants to do well,” said Snell. “He blends right in with everybody. They love him.”
Johnson is a prime example of why stereotypes of what athletes look like can be incorrect. He has multiple state titles in his personal history, and he is eagerly looking to add a few more.
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