Finishing the race

Karen Lyons lost her husband, Joe, suddenly last summer, when he suffered a heart attack while swimming during a benefit race. He was participating in the Cohasset Triathlon on the coast of Massachusetts to raise money and awareness about juvenile diabetes. Joe was 38, athletic, and determined to help find a cure for the disease that his 8-year-old son, Sam, has faced for much of his life.

The fact that Joe never finished the race gnawed at Karen. Her husband was, according to news accounts, an "end-to-end guy" who always completed what he set out to do. During a spinning class last winter, Karen began to picture herself cycling through Cohasset, a quaint seaside town south of Boston, on the triathlon course. "I started feeling I have to do this race. I have to finish it for Joe," she said.

And she did.

The Newton, Mass., resident signed up for the June 29 triathlon. She also invited friends, relatives, and former colleagues to join her, and Team Lyons grew to 52 people from nearby and around the country. Some completed all three legs of the swimming-biking-running event, while others took part as relay teams. Her son, Sam, served as official starter for the race, which drew roughly 900 participants (some of them elite athletes) and garnered $279,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Team Lyons contributed nearly $64,000.

The cause is an important one. Children like Sam with Type 1 diabetes can no longer produce insulin and must take it daily through shots or a pump. Their blood sugar levels have to be checked around the clock, and they face multiple complications if they don't manage the disease properly.

Taking on the Cohasset Triathlon gave Karen and the team an opportunity to honor Joe and "give Sam another chance to be proud of his dad as we follow in his footsteps."

I found the stories about Karen and Joe Lyons extremely moving, as they show the power of continuing a loved one's mission and of turning anguish into something good. After the triathlon, Karen reflected on what the team had accomplished. "We finished the race today, but I don't think we ever really finish what anybody starts," she told the crowd. "I think we just keep walking the path."

Consider this . . .
Carrying on someone's work is one way to say goodbye.

You can read more about Karen Lyons here and watch a poignant video series called "We Will Finish What You Started" here, under the Videos tab.