Fountain-Fort Carson football player back on the field after battling cancer
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- On Monday afternoon, spring workouts were underway for the Fountain-Fort Carson Trojans.
"We’re going to be running around in shorts and a t-shirt, and we’re just doing this to get excited for the season and for the summertime," said Jake Novotny, the head coach for the Fountain-Fort Carson football team.
But for one player, Myles McClarity, it means much more than just running around in shorts and a t-shirt.
"It feels amazing, just seeing how far I’ve come," said McClarity.
In the fall of 2021, McClarity was diagnosed with leukemia. He spent the entire 2022 season on the sideline.
"There was a time like February of 2022 when I couldn’t even walk. I couldn’t even get out of bed, and then a couple of months after that, I was going through a life-threatening battle with pancreatitis. There was a time I couldn’t even run. I couldn’t even jump, so football was definitely a big question mark," said McClarity.
McClarity found out he was in remission last summer and that meant it was time to try and get back on the field. McClarity is still completing high school classes, so he qualifies to play this fall. He and his coaches worked to petition CHSAA and make sure he had clearance from his doctors to return to play.
"I was in science class and I get a text 'come to my room ASAP.' I’m like oh no what’s going on," recalled McClarity.
"Gave him a huge hug and some tears, and I remember him telling me like okay the work starts now," said Novotny.
McClarity said it's bittersweet, but knows now more than ever you're only guaranteed so many opportunities to play the game you love.
"For him getting 10 more games is a great opportunity. He had some chances to play college football prior to all this and so he wants to see if that opportunity is still there,' said Novotny.
"I’m just really hoping to step back on the field and hear the crowd cheering and you know being on the sideline is one thing but being on the field is a whole different thing," said McClarity.
