A Mount Holly Teacher Overcomes An Accident That Left Him Almost Unable To Walk
By: Michelle R. Brown
“Caminar por aqui,” John Godoy gently says to his black German shepherd, Mari, as they attempt to cross a narrow raised area of the stream. After Mari walks safely across it, her owner proceeds to walk effortlessly and carefully after her to the other side. It has been several years since his wrestling accident, after which doctors told him he may never be able to walk again. But after an entire sunny spring afternoon spent walking and playing fetch with Mari at Rancocas Valley’s Athletic Fields, no one would be able to know.
“Therapists and doctors were all surprised at how fast I was healed,” said Godoy.
Godoy injured his spinal cord in a fall back in 2004 during wrestling
practice. After surgery at Jefferson Hospital, he challenged himself everyday in physical therapy to get better at Magee Rehabilitation in Philadelphia. Remarkably, little by little he was able to gain strength back into his muscles.
“It was amazing to be able to see it and see other peoples’ faces when they see you walking [when] no one thought that you wouldn’t be able to walk or move. It was happiness,” said Godoy.
Although he is not able to wrestle like he used to, at the age of 36,
Godoy has coached it in summer camps, youth programs, all star teams, and clubs.
“All the kids that he ever coached would probably always remember him for some reason or another, but mainly because he is a good guy and a good teacher,” said best friend Walter Holland of Mount Holly, NJ.
Godoy sits with his beloved companion, Mari.
Godoy focuses on teaching the kids the correct positions and different techniques. He started wrestling when he was ten years old, and has never given up the sport.
“A lot of people will ask [me] how can you still do the thing that got you hurt?” said Godoy. “Anything could happen. It wasn’t wrestling. It’s just the way I fell that day. I fell the wrong way.”
Godoy enjoys one of his main passions being a special education teacher at Rancocas Valley High School in Mount Holly. His current main teaching subject is chemistry.
“I think students look up to him as a role model,” said Godoy’s life-long friend Josh Gannone of Eastampton, NJ.
Godoy’s main language is Spanish and most of his family lives in Spain. Godoy enjoys surfing and traveling. He currently lives in Long Beach Island with his dog Mari, just two blocks from the ocean.
“One of the therapy sessions [required us] to visualize where you feel most happy… and every single time we did it I was always on the beach looking out in the ocean,” said Godoy.
Godoy loves taking advantage of spur of the moment opportunities that life brings.
“I am not surprised that Johnny is where he is today physically because of his spirit and the kind of guy that he is,” said Holland.
The Leafy Puncture 