Comeback from cancer continues for Kunz
Dec. 24—MANKATO — Kolton Kunz had many victories while playing basketball at Mankato Loyola, but the joy he felt just a couple weeks ago, when he was told he was cancer free, was as good as any he's ever felt on the court.
"I feel amazing," he said. "I feel like I'm right on track."
Nine months ago, while playing his senior season at Loyola, Kunz suffered a broken collarbone. About the time he was scheduled to return to the court, he was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare cancer of the bone that typically affects young children an adults.
He had been having pain in the side of his face, which he thought might be an infection after having wisdom teeth removed, but the pain never went away.
After being told he had cancer, Kunz started chemotherapy in late February, and during the tough times, he relied on friends or video games, especially Valorant, to keep his mind occupied.
"Actually, it was a little easier than I thought," he said. "I feel like I'm stronger than I think I am. I just had to keep myself distracted. I love video games, and I kinda became addicted to the video games.
"I've had a lot of support from family and friends, when I can't rely on myself. They've been there when I needed them."
There are still scars from the four surgeries. There's a long scar down the side of his leg where a bone was harvested to repair his jaw, some of which was removed. You can see where a tracheotomy was placed at the base of his throat during one of his surgeries. There's a horizontal scar across his throat where some lymph nodes were removed, though they turned out to be benign.
And he looks a bit gaunt. He said he forced himself to eat a lot during chemotherapy so he wouldn't lose much weight.
"When I felt like crap, I had a lot of time to think," Kunz said. "You have to take those thoughts and make something positive and optimistic. You have to believe in yourself, too."
Not one to visit the weight room before he was diagnosed with cancer, he's there almost every day now, trying to regain muscle tone and strength. His conditioning is still a work in progress, but he hopes one day soon, he can start practicing with the Loyola boys basketball team. Coach Sam Carlson looks forward to seeing his former player on the court, doing what he loves.
"Normally a player looks up to his coach, but I look up to Kolton," Carlson said. "It's hard to see him not playing basketball because that's what he loves more than anything else. It's motivating to see how he's dealt with adversity. He's handled this about as well as anyone could."
Kunz still has to be careful. His immune system was compromised by the chemotherapy, but his doctor said he might be able to practice in a few weeks.
"Every day, I feel better and my energy gets better," Kunz said. "I'm really excited to see how it's progressing."
Kunz hopes to attend Ridgewater College in Willmar in August and resume his basketball career.
"I'm really confident that I can be a much better player than I was," he said. "I fully believe that.
"I feel like a different person. My perspective on everything has changed, and I have a big chip on my shoulder now. I feel unstoppable."
Follow Chad Courrier on Twitter @ChadCourrier.
