ATHENS — A University of Georgia track athlete who was impaled by a javelin during practice says he hopes to return to the sport soon.
Freshman Elija Godwin tells WSB-TV that he hopes to start rehabilitation next week and be on an indoor track by later this year.
Godwin was doing backward sprints this month when he ran into the javelin, which was stuck in the ground.
Godwin says he thought the spear had just poked him, but then he started coughing up blood. He says he realized the severity after he fell and felt the weapon's weight on his back.
A campus police report says the javelin pierced through Godwin's back and collapsed his lung. Part of the spear was cut off by rescue workers and the remainder was removed during surgery.
