WASHINGTON (January 15, 2025) - A sinking feeling washed over Isabella Fountain (White Plains, N.Y.).
 
She saw the worried and pained expression on her mom's face as if something serious was on her mind. In that instant, the Howard University swimmer knew something was not right.
 
At just 17 years old, Fountain's life was about to be flipped, especially after returning home following a perfect evening with her younger sister, Gianna —cheering at her high school's volleyball and soccer games, then grabbing pizza together, laughing without any worries.
 
Then, after walking into the house, stepping into the well-lit dining room and sitting at the black table, mom's voice trembled and face crumpled as she delivered the words that could have shattered Fountain's world: "They found a tumor. You have cancer."
 
Silence filled the room.
 
"She broke down," Fountain said of her mom. "I was in shock. My immediate thought was my aunt. Then, I thought about what I was going to do because I had so many plans for myself and my future. I did not want to let anyone down, especially not then because I would be putting my family through the same situation as when my aunt was sick." 

Diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma—a rare and aggressive pediatric cancer that developed in the cervix/uterus—during what was supposed to be the pinnacle of her high school years, Fountain's life changed immediately. 

"Even when she said they got the results back, I didn't think they would be bad," Fountain shared. "Being diagnosed with cancer was never a thought that crossed my mind because what are the odds? My aunt got diagnosed with cancer, and we both got diagnosed around the same time. She was also around my age. I was so sure my results would have come back clean." 

The news was devastating, not just for Fountain but for her entire family. Memories of her aunt, Ariana Sanabria, who had succumbed to leukemia in 2010, resurfaced painfully. Fountain, a White Plains, New York native, was treated at the same hospital as her aunt, Memorial Sloan Kettering. 

Instead of fearing death, the faithful Fountain gained strength in the very fabric of her being—and in the support of her mother, Jasmine Sanabria, family, and friends. 

Her aunt was like a second mother to Fountain. She honors her late aunt with a bracelet and tattoos that remind her to breathe, trust in God's promise, and keep moving forward. 

The biblical verse Hebrews 6:19 says, "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and which entereth into that within the veil," provides her peace.
 
Receiving the news during the first month of her senior year in high school became another challenge to conquer the affable Fountain. She embraced the power of pivoting.
 
"Once I processed the reality, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, what to do now," Fountain said. "I have always had dreams and goals for myself because I am a very driven person. I have high expectations of myself and want to achieve things in order to get the life I want. Being hit with that news, I had to figure out what part of my plan needed to be adjusted.
 
"I have overcome so much, especially when the odds were against me and there were a lot of obstacles. I did have faith that everything would work out. I wanted to stay true to myself by keeping my head up high and maintaining a positive mindset, good vibes and high energy with a smile on my face."
 
Like many teenagers, Fountain was preparing for college, juggling swim practices and dreaming big about her future. But subtle signs in her body did not sit right. There was persistent pain and strange sensations that were not normal.
 
What started as routine checkups quickly spiraled into an endless series of doctor visits, blood tests and scans. The soft tick of a chemotherapy pump, blending with hushed conversations, occasional monitor beeps and the quiet shuffle of medical staff, became Fountain's new rhythm of life while undergoing strenuous cycles of chemotherapy. 

Despite the physical toll of her treatments—nausea, extreme fatigue and even loss of sensation in her extremities—she kept showing up to school, swim practice and life. Moving through the water – her sanctuary of peace -- helped Fountain clear her mind and forget about her illness.
 
"When everything in my life felt like it was crashing down, swimming was my escape," Fountain said. "The first week of chemotherapy was the worst. It made me nauseous, lose my appetite and lose weight. The second and third weeks were light. Then, in December, we got updated results and the cancer was more aggressive than they had initially thought. I was already bald and experienced hair loss. I then began to really lose the color in my skin and I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows. I lost even more weight. It was rough."
 
She did not initially let Howard Director of Swimming & Diving Nicholas Askew know about her diagnosis during her recruiting trip. Amazingly, Fountain almost missed out on an opportunity to attend the prestigious Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Fortunately, Askew was persistent. 

"I received an email early on in the recruitment process and I was like, Howard, what is this," Fountain recalled while laughing over the phone. "I realized they were the only HBCU with a swimming team. I did not respond at first because Howard was not on my radar at all. Then, Coach reached back out again during the fall, inviting me to campus for a recruiting trip. I did not want to block my blessings, especially after everything I had been through. This could have been an amazing opportunity for me."
 
Once she returned from the nation's capital on the Acela train, Fountain instantly knew where she would spend the next five years of her life. She chose to attend Howard because of its positive atmosphere. Fountain remembers building a beautiful bond with her classmates. The sense of family, the pride of swimming with people who looked like her and the unwavering support of her coach sealed the deal. 

Howard became her home. It was not just about swimming—it was about belonging and discovering new possibilities that enabled Fountain to flourish in ways she could have never imagined for herself when she was sick.
 
"It was beautiful seeing people who look like me doing what I love," Fountain said. "What the coach has done and brought to this university is amazing."
 
Fountain, who started competitive swimming at seven years old, has impacted the Howard program in the pool and with her sunny personality.
 
In addition to being selected to the 2024 Northeast Conference (NEC) Winter Academic Team, Fountain has helped the Bison to a second-place finish at the 2024 NEC Championships and a fourth-place performance at the 2023 championships. Fountain was a Bison's winning free relay team member during the 2023 championships. During her sophomore season (2021-22), Fountain was named a NEC Prime Performer on more than one occasion. 

Fountain had an epiphany and realized her true passion just three weeks before graduating with a degree in human performance, concentration in sports medicine and a minor in psychology. A conversation with a mentor, Ms. Johnson, opened her eyes to the possibility of teaching, which she currently does as a middle school English teacher in Prince George's County, Maryland.
 
"I have always loved working with kids, coaching and helping them improve as individuals," Fountain shares. "But I did not know teaching could be a career option for me." 

After receiving chemotherapy and surgery, the resilient Fountain entered remission in 2020. Yet, there are lasting effects of her chemotherapy treatments, including nerve damage that still affects her hands and legs. She refuses to dwell on what she has lost. Instead, she focuses on what she has gained: perspective; gratitude and the opportunity to inspire others.
 
She has accomplished this by fundraising, working at numerous swim camps and sharing her inspiring journey with young swimmers. Fountain created a fundraiser in 2020 called "It Gets Better." Her fundraiser raises funds for pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
 
"When I hear that I have inspired someone, it makes everything I have been through worth it," she says with a smile. "I am truly blessed. People remind me of the presence I have wherever I go. This helps remind me that what I am doing matters. It is a privilege to leave an impact. Even when I am down, I always believe things will work out eventually. Life is good." 

Rob Knox is an award-winning professional and a member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition to having work published in SLAM magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington Post, and Diverse Issues In Higher Education, Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by CSC with the Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award and the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity award. Named a HBCU Legend by SI.com, Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Communicators, formerly CoSIDA.

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.