Thoughts on Scott

You know those people who make a significant impact on your life, but aren't around for long enough to be considered one of THE significant people.... well, I've been thinking about one of those lately. He and I met while I was watching my first Ironman, when my brother raced in Panama City Beach Florida in 2007. We spent most of the day cheering on the athletes and having a ball. Even though he lived in North Carolina/Ohio, we stayed in touch. We weren't exactly "dating" but we did have a close friendship. For a while, we talked pretty much every day. Then over time we lost touch. A few months ago, I thought of Scott and sent him an email to say hello, which was promptly kicked back undeliverable. I thought that was a little weird, but I guessed he just got a new job. Well, yesterday I came across the business card of his coach so I got in touch in hopes of reconnecting with my friend. Instead of the easy response with the new email address, I got an unexpected phone call.

Sonni explained to me that Scott had a very successful day at Ironman Florida 2008, finishing way ahead of his expected time. He fell and broke a finger, but got up and kept moving. The rest of the crew had a run in with a 4-foot shark during a pre-race practice swim, and that was the most eventful part of the trip. Until 3 days later when Scott was having trouble breathing. He went to several doctors, worried about a few lymph nodes, and at the beginning of December - a month after completing Ironman - he was diagnosed with Stage 2 Lung Cancer. Wow. He moved home from Ohio back to family in North Carolina (Which he always said with an adorable southern drawl!). And at the beginning of February, he passed away.

I'm not sure how to react to this news, or how I'm supposed to feel. I know I wasn't one of the most important people in Scott's life, and he knew the same could be said for mine. But at the same time, I often think about him while training - how he used a dog collar around his ankles when swimming, riding through the cold and rain and loving it, adjusting to triathlon in a new place without his coach and training buddies, and how much he was looking forward to finishing IM Florida and telling Lake Placid where to shove it. We had a bond that can't really be put into words.

Its so hard to believe that you can be in the best shape of your life, completing all 140.6 miles of the IRONMAN TRIATHLON for crying out loud. And not knowing that during the entire ordeal, you are sick. Something evil has invaded your body, and you can't do a damn thing about it.

I have to believe that everyone has a purpose and when we've done all we are supposed to do, we move on. Maybe completing Florida was the last thing Scott was supposed to do. He'll be on my mind in 5.5 weeks when I race, that's for sure. As inspiration to live life to the fullest, take advantage of every trial and every gift, and enjoy the ride.

He would always say that its about the journey. And while much of this journey to Ironman Wisconsin has been hell, its taught me a lot about who I am and what I'm capabale of. And what I can be to others, even when I don't know it. So I'm going to enjoy every sweaty, hungry, exhausted, jubilant, bored, salty moment of the next 38 days.