The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Merritt returns after kidney transplant
Looking back, American hurdler Aries Merritt realizes he probably shouldn’t have competed with a failing kidney at the 2015 world championships when he captured a bronze medal.
“But in my heart of hearts, I thought that was my last championships,” said Merritt, who graduated from Wheeler High School.
He’s back. Even more, two years later and with a fully functioning kidney thanks to a transplant from his sister, Merritt feels almost as good as in 2012, when he won Olympic gold in London and set the 110-meter hurdles world record (12.80 seconds).
“I’m close to where I was,” Merritt said, “and I feel like I can accomplish something special.”
His event starts today, and no matter what he accomplishes, it won’t compare to the medal he captured that day in Beijing. He thought his career was finished. No way could he return. At the time, Merritt’s kidneys were barely functioning because of a genetic disorder.
Less than a week after winning his bronze medal, Merritt flew to Arizona and received the transplant from his sister, LaToya Hubbard.
“There were a lot of things that could have gone wrong, and they just didn’t,” the 32-year-old Merritt said. “I was really fortunate to have a successful surgery and be able to bounce back as well as I have been. But that world championship medal in 2015 is definitely in a class of its own.”
Steadily, he’s regained his strength. He finished fourth at the Olympic Trials last season, missing the American team for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics by a spot.
No excuses. He uses his ordeal only as motivation.
“Just because I went through a hardship in life and was able to overcome it doesn’t mean I’m going to take it easy and not try to perform to the best of my ability and go out there and try to break a world record every time I step on the track,” Merritt said. “I might not be in that shape to run 12.80 seconds, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to go out there and try.”