Success is often measured by the number of titles won, personal awards such as All-Stars etc, but for Wicklow footballer John McGrath one of the greatest battles of all has already been overcome, with the Baltinglass clubman recovering from Leukaemia, to regain a starting berth on the Wicklow team, captain his club to a Wicklow SFC Final and take a Sigerson Cup medal with DIT.

Two years that have brought a lot of high's and lows for McGrath, who was diagnosed in February 2011 with Leukaemia, nothing too unusual in the lead-up to one of the tough challenges he has ever faced.

McGrath, then 24 had been battling through the Allianz League at the time with Wicklow, games against Carlow and Leitrim had proven fruitful as Wicklow took three league points, and John impressive on the pitch, scoring eight and firmly laying a marker.

These were heady times for Wicklow football, with a lot of focus on the Garden County due to Mick O'Dwyer's involvement as manager, with John eager to make an impression.

The visit of London wasn't a game which sat nicely with John. He'd been complaining of a toothache in the previous fortnight, and there were signs during this game that all didn't seem right. It also came bang smack in the middle of the Sigerson Cup, a defeat for DIT, a game which John had been ruled out of just three days previously.

When he eventually went for a blood test, the bombshell had dropped and McGrath had to face into the next few months with a battle of a different kind away from the GAA pitches.

"It was very hard. I went through it and played a couple of league matches coming into it the previous week and two weeks before it. I was just feeling a little bit tired during those games, but nothing too crazy. When I eventually went for a blood test I was a little bit of a shock obviously," he told Hoganstand.com.

"The first few days were tough, but all you can do is the first few people you meet in hospital they are positive and have a positive attitude to really set the tone for the few months ahead. It was great than nothing was ever negative, there was never any bad thoughts. It was all above board and good spirits from there on in."

McGrath got huge support from friends and family and the wider GAA Community, something which helped him pull through, and turn what would have been a far tougher period in his life into something which he was able to battle through.

"It was a very tough time, but it just shows the GAA community is phenomenal really. The support I received from not just people in my town or in Wicklow, but from all over the country was super. I got letters, phone-calls, text messages that were non-stop coming in.

"That support was brilliant. Anything that brings a positive atmosphere can get you out of a hole. People talk about support and stuff, but the best support you can get is a positive atmosphere and a positive vibe. It definitely gets you out of a tough hole."

John also gives huge credit to his girlfriend Carol Keane for helping him pull through on the darkest of days.

"I live with my girlfriend so it makes things a little bit easier as well. There's not as much pressure on me to study and all. She has been the rock since my sickness as well, she was the one who dragged me through it as well. Her attitude was amazing and I could never thank her enough really."

McGrath worked hard with the medical staff in St. James's and the Rotunda to get back to normality.

The road to recovery lasting initially three months, after going through four cycles of treatment.

"I was diagnosed on February 22nd and three months later on May 24th was when I was discharged after my final cycle. There is four cycles of Chemotherapy, so it was just over three months it took to basically get back out and back to normality - a bit of 'back on the street' basically and do your normal day-to-day things. It wasn't long after that before I was back doing a bit, a couple of exercises.

"About a month after I was back doing some running and I eventually got back by the end of the Summer playing a bit of Championship football with the club as well."

It was the hunger to pull on the Baltinglass jersey once again that was one of the driving forces for McGrath, and although Championship was looming, a return to the green and white came a tiny bit earlier than expected in a challenge game against Carlow side Kildavin-Clonegal.

"I had a friendly game on the first weekend of August. I probably jumped the gun a bit early, it was just an unreal experience to be honest. To get back into that playing a competitive game was nice - to get a touch of the ball, to get back running around. It was something that when you are lying in bed for three months you don't think you will get that experience again. When you do get it you take your chance when you get it."

On the club front, Baltinglass couldn't have been more supportive of their young hero.

He was chuffed to be honoured with the Senior captaincy for 2012, in a year where Baltinglass paved their way to the Wicklow SFC decider, only to be piped by a point by St. Patrick's on a 1-12 to 0-14 score-line in Aughrim.

McGrath and Joey Kelly sharing ten points equally on that October afternoon.

"The club at home are amazing really. The support they have shown me is beyond belief really. The history of the club is just something you want to live up too and try and provide even more success. Unfortunately we haven't delivered as much as we would like. They have been amazing. To go back there the year after I was sick and to be awarded the captaincy was something that was really touching to be honest and I could never thank them enough for the support that they have shown me over the years.

"We came very close last year to winning it, but to be pipped on the line by St. Pat's in the last minute was gut wrenching too be honest, but we never stop training and we always come back the following year. Hopefully we can go one step further this year."

Wicklow also gave McGrath their full backing and with Harry Murphy taking over from O'Dwyer, there was another boost for John.

"In that October I got called back into the Wicklow squad and that was a nice added boost, even though I only had the minimum time in the club Championship. It was a nice vote of confidence that they supported me as well and gave me the opportunity to come back in.

McGrath says there was a bit of work involved to get back to the pace of inter-county football

"You train for a certain amount of year and you have that base line, but when you lie in a bed for three months it takes that base-line away really, it was like starting fresh. It was something I hadn't experienced before, but a lot of hard work and effort went in to get back to that point. It doesn't take long really no matter what situation you are in really.

"Hard work and effort will always get you through. A few months on, we had a slow start to the league and it took me a while to get back into the team. Thankfully it went good at the right time, just at the end of the league. I was involved for the league final which was nice."

DIT GAA Club also plays a strong role in McGrath's life and he was delighted to battle back from illness to helping the club take their first ever Sigerson Cup title this year alongside Wicklow colleague Robert Lambert.

"It was brilliant. The effort levels in DIT in the last few years we were always aiming for that achievement. This year though it was an extra step from the players involved. It was a lot better and there was a lot more of a buzz about the group. For the Wicklow lads involved, there isn't many around with Sigerson medals. We were happy with it.

"It was great to see Robert involved also. I think he is the only Wicklow man to get a Sigerson All-Star award. That's great for Wicklow and it will lift the other players around as well, that they see that they can get national awards as well, so it's good for Wicklow.

"The Sigerson is only a month long, but the preparation starts well in advance. For me personally I found it hard to balance both county and college. Unfortunately I think it did affect me a little bit too much with fatigue kicking in. It affected me for the start of the league as well. Other players can balance it. It is good. Maybe there could be a little bit of a change in the structure to prevent the bit of fatigue, but other than that it's great to be involved with more teams. When you are successful you shouldn't feel fatigue. It is good like and any bit of success brings enjoyment to the game as well. That's what the game is about really."

Success in the Wicklow colours springs eternal, with McGrath feeling his side have upped it a notch from the league, as they prepare now to face Meath in the Leinster quarter-final.

"We have definitely lifted our game even more than 20 or 30 percent to be honest. The effort levels have really improved coming into the Championship. We have a few lads coming back at the right time and it's looking positive at the moment for Wicklow." Tweet

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