Sad loss in the Triathlon world
Wednesday, May 30th, 2007Our ALS Warrior Poet has passed on. Jonathan Blais passed away this past Sunday evening. He gave ALS a good 2 year fight. I wouldn’t necessarily say that he lost the battle. Maybe the physical battle, but not the monumental long term battle. He got the word out about ALS by doing what he loved - triathlon. He in turn, inspired many of his fellow triathletes and non-triathletes to get the word out and raise money for a disease that does not get the kind of research attention it deserves.
Anyone who has read “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom knows how debilitating ALS is. It’s amazing that Stephen Hawking is able to live with it to this day. As a nurse, this is one of the saddest diseases I’ve seen. Blazeman fought with his heart and soul to get word out and make a difference in this world. Millions of more people now know about ALS who didn’t before or didn’t understand the disease process itself. His spirit will be missed, but never forgotten. He touched many peoples hearts with his speeches, his career as a teacher, and his ability to not let a terrible disease get the best of him. I will proudly wear your logo on my jersey as part of my triathlon club uniform for Emerald City Multisport.
We’ll miss you Blazeman/#179.