We’ve been
connected to the Lance Armstrong Foundation since Barry’s first diagnosis of
cancer in 2005. Barry ran the 5K at the
Livestrong Challenge in
When we learned
last February that Barry’s cancer had returned after scans were clear for over
a year, we knew the upcoming Livestrong Challenge would be more meaningful than
ever. Our team eventually grew from two
members to nine, including our family, Barry’s brother and his family, and two
friends. The commitment and connection to
Livestrong 2008 kept growing.
One day when I was
checking our team statistics and cruising around on the Livestrong website, I
noticed “Livestrong Award” on a sidebar.
I clicked on it and began reading.
The more I read, the more I realized it described Barry.
At each of the four
Livestrong Challenges across the country each year, one Livestrong Award is
presented to an individual who displays resilience, inspiration, public
awareness, and commitment in the fight against cancer. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Barry
met all the criteria for the award, and then some.
By this time it
was late May. Barry was recovering from
a lung biopsy, we both had a lot of teaching to finish up with our second
graders, report cards needed to be done, and the school year had to get wrapped
up. Even though it was an extremely busy
and stressful time, I knew I had to write the four essays needed for the
nomination.
On the nomination
form there’s a spot that asks if the nominee is aware of the nomination. I decided not to tell Barry in case he didn’t
receive the award. So I worked on the essays
at school, before and after my teaching day.
I wrote, edited, rewrote, edited, and then revised some more. Finally, my writing was finished, and I sent
off the nomination. I took a deep breath
and smiled.
Within the next
few days I ran into Camille Rimmer while dropping my son off at the school they
share. I mentioned to her about
nominating Barry and she rattled off several amazing sentences about him. So I asked her to send in a nomination as
well. Then I thought of Mary Riehl, a
friend who has been very supportive of us and Barry taught both her
daughters. I asked her to send in a
nomination too, and she did.
So then I waited. Nominations were due on June 16th
and the Livestrong website indicated nominators and nominees would be notified
by the end of the day on June 20th, which was a Friday. So Friday came and went. Saturday came and went, and Sunday came and
went. By then I figured Barry didn’t
receive the award. On Monday morning I
checked my work
e-mail, and sure
enough, there was the message I had been hoping for:
“We’ve selected Barry
as this year’s recipient of our Livestrong Challenge Award.”
Barry had gone out
to get the newspaper. I printed the
e-mail and walked down the driveway smiling.
He looked at me and said, “What?”
I replied, “I have something for you to read.” My heart was pounding as I watched him read
the e-mail. He looked at me with an
expression of amazement. I then filled
him in on the process and the realization started to sink in for both of
us. Barry would receive the Livestrong
Award from Lance Armstrong in
Of course Barry
didn’t think he was deserving. I told
him that yes, he was. I let him read the
nominations I’d written about him, and the reality sank in even more. I called Camille and Mary with the good news,
as well as Barry’s parents and other family members. I’ll never forget those feelings of joy and
excitement in the midst of our amazing journey with Barry’s cancer.
The Livestrong Challenge
was the following Sunday. In the next
few days we exchanged several e-mails with two of the Livestrong Team members
involved with the award process. They
both expressed congratulations and said all the team members were really
looking forward to meeting us.
So our Livestrong
2008 experience continued in
We arrived in
Barry and I got to
attend the Livestrong banquet that evening.
While we were looking around for a place to sit, a very nice woman said
we were welcome to join her group. She
then introduced herself and the seven others on her team. It turned out they were the leaders of the
Livestrong Portland Volunteers, including the manager of technology, medical
staff, PR, power stops, etc… Since there
were over 650
The banquet was
fun and inspiring. Awards were given to
the top fund-raising team and individual, who happened to be a 15-year old boy
battling brain cancer. Lance was there,
spoke to the group, and answered a bunch of questions, including many about the
upcoming Presidential election and which candidate would likely do a better job
of supporting the fight against cancer.
A Foundation summit will be held in July which will help determine the
answer. Another question for Lance: “How many bikes do you own?” Answer (laughing): “I have no idea. Lots.”
Then we got to
visit with Doug Uhlman, President of the Livestrong Foundation. He was standing right by us as the banquet
was breaking up, so I introduced myself.
I started to introduce Barry and he exclaimed, “You must be Barry
James. I know all about you!” He proceeded to tell us the Livestrong Team
from
So the actual
Livestrong Challenge came early Sunday morning.
Our team “Thriving” had a great time, even though it was sunny and very
hot (in contrast to the 50 degree rain Barry and I had last year). Barry, Aaron, Sue Kegley (a Yakima teaching
friend), and Rena Brady (Sue’s sister) did the 10-mile bike ride, while Barry’s
brother Brad, sister-in-law Audrey, and nieces Kayley (10), and Alyssa (7) from
the San Francisco area, and I all did the 5K run/walk. Barry’s parents Lee and Carolyn, my brother
Andy, and my cousin Laurie, were on deck cheering us on and taking
pictures. There were over 3,000
participants, and the event raised a million dollars for the fight against
cancer. Wow!
Then there was the
post-event party… A large crowd gathered
and Doug Uhlman delivered Barry’s introduction while Lance was standing right
there holding his Livestrong Challenge Award.
Barry came up on stage to an amazing round of applause, shook Lance’s
hand, and then immediately had to stand for the official photographer.
So, Barry hates
having his picture taken and even mentioned this to Lance quietly as they were
standing there, arm in arm, posing.
Lance smiled and said he does too.
None-the-less, Barry gave a very nice acceptance speech while the crowd
hung on every word. He thanked me for
nominating him and talked about how cancer has impacted his life, in some ways
positive: helping realize the importance
of faith, family, and friends; finding an inner strength; and living each
day.
Barry also thanked
the Lance Armstrong Foundation for the support he’s received over the last
three years. He concluded by saying he
definitely plans on being there at Livestrong 2009, which caused many loud
cheers, whistles, and applause. He and
Lance shook hands again and exchanged a few more pleasant words before Barry
left the stage.
Lance then spoke
for a bit and commented on how it’s always difficult to follow someone like
Barry who is so inspiring. I have no
doubt Barry made his mark, and that Lance and others on the Livestrong Team
will remember and look for him at Challenges in the future.
Then we all
traveled home in different directions.
As Barry, Aaron, and I turned onto our street we noticed a huge orange
poster on our garage door. As we got
closer we read: “Congratulations Barry!”
with messages written from all the families in our neighborhood. “Congrats Barry” was also written in chalk
across our driveway. Talk about a
wonderful, heart-warming home-coming and yet another example of support…
So I’ve tried to
accurately describe the events of Livestrong 2008, but there’s no way to
completely convey the emotion. Our
journey is… for lack of a better word
I’ll simply say: amazing.
Livestrong!