Julian Nijkamp was a two-time track and field state champion in the hurdles for GHS, class of 2013. He started training and running competitively in 6th grade. He credits his middle school coaches for instilling a strong work ethic early on.
During his junior year of high school, coming home from a track meet, Nijkamp noticed his ankles appeared very swollen. He knew immediately that something was wrong. In the following days, he would be diagnosed with MPGN, a rare kidney disease. Fast forward eight years from high school, and Nijkamp lives to tell another comeback.
The past 25 months have been mentally tough, to say the least for this former athlete. “It wasn’t the physical pain for me, it was just mentally tough.”
Nijkamp was trained by his team of doctors to do his own dialysis at home five days a week. “Life or death, either you do it or you die.”
When COVID-19 hit, his chances of finding a kidney donor did not look promising, and he was told it would be at least 4 more years of dialysis and waiting. This is when his mother’s best friend from high school stepped up big.
Photo credit The Nijkamp FamilyJulian Nijkamp, GHS Class of 2013, posing after a win for Gorham at a track meet.
This past July, Nijkamp received a living kidney donor. “She did a ‘cross swap’ because her kidney was too small for my body. I am very grateful.”
Today, ten weeks post-transplant surgery, he certainly has a positive perspective on life. “The healthiest people sometimes get hit with the worst-case scenarios, I was healthy as a horse. When someone gets bad news, it puts you in your own mortality quickly. I was lucky to have a huge support system and the mindset to do whatever it takes to get healthy again. A lot of people don’t realize their strength. I didn’t think I could do certain things but I fought through and here I am.”
Nijkamp has a few goals coming up. He has worked for UPS since he was 21 years old. He loves his job and his teammates at UPS and is excited to get back to it. He will be focused on his cardio health too. He is going to start at the track. The GHS track is a healing place and a big motivator for Nijkamp.
He reflects on his days of intense training workouts with his coaches, oftentimes in the mornings before school at USM. “The state wins are some of the best days and memories that keep me motivated post-surgery. When I made the comeback after my junior year, I still to this day revert back to that inner strength. You learn to adapt and try to get through it the best you can. In the end, it only makes you stronger.”