I realized a few things personally. For all those CSR people who attended and whether or not you knew Janice well, you were apart of her life and the moment to reflect. It was so warming to see you all there. This connection that we all have is facilitated by our passion to be active and sporty but within a social and caring environment and group. Our lives of triathlons has brought us together and we make our own memories. When I first created this dream career of coaching nearly 15 years ago, I never had a clue of the deeper impact on peoples lives. I need to remind myself it is not the personal bests and fast mile repeats that we achieve that feeds our soul, but rather the memories of our teammates and their achievements that really makes us appreciate what we do. Janice in my mind was the "come back queen"... no matter what the odds were against her, she would always make it happen. Her latest come back, took her from being rather ill after the birth of Amy, to reaching great fitness and more importantly, losing that baby fat (15% from 20%). I know she would have been OK to share that information!
I challenged myself to think of the most powerful memory of Janice. I would have to say it was not the recent May Camp but rather her frequent attendance to the Thursday night 2 hour bike sessions. She was always in the front row and oh so many times I would look up and see her smiling, sweating and just simply lovin it! I learned later tonight that those Thursday nights were considered their "Date Night". She would set up her bike then Cam's bike and get on with her own workout accepting if he would show or not. Janice did everything to the best of her ability, at every moment in time. This is a lesson I have learned. She knew that her time was prescious and there was no wasting it. Rest when you need to, but live strong when you can.
It is not very often that we experience a loss that is so sudden and profound. This is my first goodbye to a friend who did it all "right". Sadly a goodbye to a fellow teammate who I have outlived in hours, but happily acknowledge that she lived a lifetime within 37 years.
Cal
Cheers,
CoachCal
O-Sense