01/12/2015
Team Tyler runs the Seattle Marathon / Half Marathon
On 29 November 2015, a collection of Tyler’s friends and relatives came together to run the Seattle Marathon or Half Marathon in honor of Tyler. “Team Tyler” was diverse in age (21 to 75 years), diverse in running experience, and diverse in how we were connected to Tyler. What we share, and what binds us together, is our love for Tyler and our desire to honor him and his values by cultivating our own love and appreciation of friends and family, sharing a passion for new experiences, and committing to challenge perceived limitations. For most of the runners, this was their first half marathon and it would not have happened without mutual encouragement and support.
We are also celebrating and grateful to all who have contributed to Tyler’s Memorial Fellowship fund at Quest University. The generosity of individuals has raised $15,000, which means that we are well over half way to our goal of raising at least $25,000, the minimum needed to fund an endowed scholarship. If you have considered donating but haven’t yet, this is just a friendly reminder to do so if you can, and/or to forward the fellowship link to others who may be interested in supporting this cause. Every donation helps. Please see the shared post below from Eric dePaoli, a good friend of Tyler’s and a recent Quest graduate, on his passion for Tyler’s Memorial Fellowship and for Team Tyler.
Regarding the Seattle Marathon, Team Tyler runners from Quest University included Krishni Seasholes, Corey Franklin, Kelly McQuade, Kate Hosford and Eric dePaoli. Also running were Kate’s dad, Krishni’s mom and dad (Polly and Craig), Tyler’s dad and aunt (Jeff and Becky), two friends from Portland (Thompson and Jason), and others including Jim, Tenille, Daryl and Diane.
Team Tyler’s motto, emblazed on the shirts that Krishni printed for us to wear, is “Live fully, Love well". Thanks also to Tyler’s sister Addy who cut the stencil for the shirts. Supporting the runners course side or in other ways were Quest grads Simone Hoffman and Jesse Warren, his mom Cathy and sister, Tyler’s mom Jennifer, aunt and uncle (Susan and Greg), friend Marybeth and others, including many who provided moral support or sustenance before and after.
Eight of us chose to run as a group, and in spite of multiple separations in the crushing crowd at the start, and needed bathroom breaks and nagging injuries along the way, we managed to fully regroup each time and cross the finish line together. There was plenty of laughter and a bit of agony along the way as well as some tears at the finish line. Several experienced members of Team Ty pursued PRs, including Kate and her dad who flew through the half, and Polly Fabian who not only ran the full 26.2 mile marathon, but also finished faster than every other woman in her age group!
Given the collective joy of this Team Tyler outing, we are already talking about running more races, pushing more boundaries, raising more funds, and further expanding what it means to live fully and love well. There are no limits to joining the team for future events so don’t hesitate to let us know if you would like to participate, would like to plan an event, or have ideas for raising funds for the fellowship. Desire and courage are all that’s needed to get started, and those are easier to find when we do it together.
