How Belmont's Maya Johnson managed lupus to become...

playPitcher Maya Johnson has a amazing story to share about here softball journey (7:31)Behind Maya Johnson's story of perseverance on and off the diamond See why ace Maya Johnson has remained loyal to Belmont all while coping with a chronic autoimmune disease. (7:31) IT'S APRIL, IN the closing stretch of the regular season for the Belmont softball team, and Maya Johnson is striding toward the dugout, her cleats crunching along the rust-colored, gravel warning track lining the perimeter of the field. As the rest of the team begins Thursday morning practice, she approaches the Bruins' pitching corps, gathered near first base. "Strut, Maya," pitching coach Emlyn Knerem jokes. Johnson bashfully raises a hand to stop the teasing. "You do strut when you're out there," Knerem says, throwing a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the pitcher's mound. "I do strut when I'm out there," Johnson concedes, "because I want everyone to know I'm the boss." And it's a title she has earned. Over the past two seasons, Johnson has established herself as one of the best pitchers in college softball. With an unbeatable .66 earned run average and 381 strikeouts, the Bruins' redshirt senior sits atop the NCAA in nearly every pitching category. In April, Johnson made an unexpected appearance in the Bruins' 11-10 slugfest against local rival, Lipscomb University. As the runs multiplied, she started asking head coach Laura Matthews to put her on the mound, knowing she could clinch the late-season win. "If it's me versus the batter, I'm taking myself any day," Johnson said. In the top of the seventh, Belmont secured a one-run lead. Matthews agreed to let Johnson close, on one condition: no throwing at practice the next day. Johnson agreed, then struck out the next three Bison batters for the win. This morning, Johnson has remained true to her word. As the Bruins' fielders execute a fast-paced defensive drill, pitcher and coach watch from the first-base line. Both understand that for Johnson, rest is often more valuable than reps. At age 15, Johnson was diagnosed with lupus, a chronic condition in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells. Lupus manifests in each person differently, resulting in a wide range of symptoms. If left untreated, it can begin to break down nearly any body system, causing permanent organ failure and other life-threatening effects. Medications such as immunosuppressants help prevent this process. But for many with lupus, like Johnson, additional medications are needed to keep the body from overcorrecting. Achieving equilibrium is key to living with the disease. After years of trial and error with various treatments, Johnson had finally found a balance that kept her lupus symptoms at bay. Then, the unpredictable disease dealt her her most difficult challenge yet, threatening her future on the field. But she has always believed in her ability to beat any opponent. Johnson leads the nation in almost every pitching statistic. Belmont AthleticsJOHNSON SITS, LEGS extended, on a padded table in the Bruins' training room. The softball team's athletic trainer, Brie Ashauer, guides an ultrasound probe around Johnson's left shoulder as electrical stimulation pads send pulses to her muscles. Together, the treatments aid in recovery. "I get more sore from lift and practice than I think other people do," Johnson explains. Lupus slows the body's healing processes, so Ashauer must conduct treatments at lower settings, and with higher frequency, to ensure Johnson is fit to play. In addition to taking medications, Johnson also wears a continuous glucose monitor to track her blood sugar levels. Today, Johnson has symptom management down to a science. But before her diagnosis, she struggled against the effects of the disease. Johnson was in seventh grade when she began feeling overwhelmed by exhaustion. Since beginning mixed martial arts at age 6, and softball at 9, she had become accustomed to the demands of life as an athlete. This feeling, though, was different. Sometimes, she'd sleep up to 16 hours a day. Most of her lab work would come back with the slightest abnormalities, discouraging doctors from offering any formal diagnoses. But by freshman year of high school, Johnson's health had gotten worse. Her joints were swollen, and it hurt to walk. She tried to keep up with softball training, but would often miss practices and games to rest. Her parents thought she might be depressed. Others wrote off her aches as evidence of anxiety. "I genuinely felt crazy," Johnson said. "I was like, 'I have all these symptoms. I'm exhausted all the time. I'm not being believed something's wrong.'" She began to doubt herself. Am I making this stuff up? Are these symptoms in my head? For three years, Johnson visited various specialists, but none could put a name to her condition. In the fall of 2018, she met with a rheumatologist for yet another opinion. A few days later, she was diagnos

How Belmont's Maya Johnson managed lupus to become...

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