I decided that Wildflower 2018 would be my first triathlon finish after my cancer journey in 2017. When my friend Ryan Heisler saw that I was doing that race he told me to look for Sean English there. I had not met Sean before and did not know about his cancer journey. Well I got to Wildflower, met Sean and we shared our journey. Let me say this — triathlon is an ohana we are blessed to be part of, but cancer is also a different kind of ohana. One we’d all rather not be a member of. But it is a deep bond, with thoughts and fears that I can’t even put into words. Wildflower has its own place in my heart but Sean at the microphone all weekend made it an experience that surpassed all my expectations. Each time I saw him that weekend and especially on race day I knew that he understood just how much the experience meant to me. I crossed paths with Sean several times after that and knew his journey was so much tougher than mine.
One of my last contacts with Sean was in Kona this October at the Parade of Nations. The commentary was beyond entertaining and I laughed from that place deep inside that is just about having fun.
God bless you Sean, and your family. I hope to be a better person because of you.