Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire He's no Pro, But he IS my HERO

As long as I remember he has always been there. We are only 17 months apart in age my junior. We had a bond only brothers can have. He was my roommate, my shadow and my responsibility. At the age of 10 he had a tragic accident falling out of the back of our station wagon onto the pavement while delivering newspapers hitting his head. That day, as Kenny Chesney would say, is where I grew up. The outcome of the life saving surgery, was not in our favor. He went into a coma that lasted for an eternity. Every second seemed like hours, every hour seemed like days, every day seemed like years. I was 11 and couldn�t bare to think what was the odds on likely outcome. After 3 of the longest weeks known to a boy, the miracle happened and my brother woke up and came home a few days later. I went into my parents room to get something and I didn�t even recognize him. He was so fragile looking, skinny and weak. He grew stronger every day as mom walked him tirelessly to build him up. I remember how hard it was for him to even walk out the house and down the down the driveway all of 50�. The next few years, my older brother and I were the last people you wanted to see if you laid a hand on �lil bro. We rarely let him out of our sight. I have been blessed beyond anything I deserve for my brother has been, with a short burst of exceptions, very close in proximity to me. The exceptions are when I graduated high school and left for college, graduating college and entered the work force. We went to the same university, following big bro. After he graduated, we again became roommates. He moved out when he found his true love and got married. Even so, we still live within 5 miles of each other.

Long story short, there is a strength that he possesses that is unknown to me. An inner strength that is off the charts unfathomable. While in college he started riding a bike at speeds not known by mortals, and took pride in getting speeding tickets while using only his thighs for horsepower. He did in fact receive several. He ran a few marathons and admitted the most challenging task he volunteered for. He didn�t stop dreaming of larger challenges.
Fast forward to Tuesday night...lil� bro asked me to do him a favor and shave his head. He said for 30 years he has been afraid of the scar that was earned as a kid. He was afraid he would look like Frankenstein. So I shaved his head. It didn�t look as bad as I remember either.







Saturday he was in another race. This one was local and I was able to go. I was unable to go to the last race in Kona last year as my kids were in school and mom needed to go and watch the race. Yes, my lil� bro IS an IRONMAN. He has done three, Florida, Hawaii (World Championship) and Texas this last Saturday. If you ask my brother, he will likely down play his significance and influence in my life. However, I am here to say I admire him. I love him. I respect him. And I am blessed to have all these memories that were so close to not be a reality. I am a Christian and I thank God everyday for my blessings.







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A very great story and some times it takes something like this to wake us up.An count our blessing

Wonderful story.

A great story...........may you always remain close.

MM

The love of a brother is an amazing and powerful thing. I'm going to call mine now. Thanks for sharing a great story.

Great story! Thank you for sharing your brother with us!

I can certainly see why he is your hero. I can also see why you would be his.

May God continue to Bless both of you!

Ed

Has a strong resemblence to you too. IMHO.

Glad to see the bond as strong as ever. Those are some major accomplishments and sets the bar very high for you. Though in your own ways you've cleared that bar also. IMHO.

I wish I could make myself do a marathon and may one day. Can't do Tris like the wife did as I can't swim. But have done duathlons. Wife has an IM sticker on the back of her FJ though she quit before applying for Kona due to her not swimming well.

I"m impressed as hell. Very well written thread too!

Congrats to you and bro.

Jeff

Thanks for sharing. The bonds between brothers is something special. I can imagine after going through what your brother did it would be even stronger.

Dang. Your brother is a stud!

My brother is a stud!

His time

2.4 mile swim: 1:11:51

112 mile bike: 5:15:44

26.2 mile run: 4:23:21

Total Race Time: 11:04:14

Jeff,

Thanks for the kind words. Words coming from a friend. However, I'm not half the man he is. He makes me proud to be his brother, and I want to be more like him...

Thanks all for the kind words...it was a great weekend!

tlfw;
Thanks for the great tribute to your brother, it was great to read and brought a lump to my throat.

As far as Ironman goes, they run one here in the closest city to us - Penticton, BC - every year.

They actually used to turn the running portion around at the end of our rural property and use our round pen for a First Aid and massage tent area.

I have no clue how any human can do that run - it never ceases to amaze me the superb condition some folks are in and are still the same species as I am....

Thanks again, I enjoyed your story very much.

All the best to you and yours this week tlfw.

Regards,
Dwayne

That alone makes him a stud! And swimming 2.4 miles before, and running a marathon afterwards...simply incredible! I rode the Hotter Than Hell 100 in Wichita Falls year before last in 5 hours. Last year I did it in 6 hours and had a little more fun doing it. This year I'm going for 7 hours...hoping to have a blast. Still stopped at mile 98 both years for beer and hot links! Will do so again...

That's a great story. Thank you for sharing.

As has been said here, great story. Makes me wish my brother wasn't living 900 miles away from me.

Great story. Nothing like a brother's love. Thanks for sharing and God bless both of you.

great post. thanks

That's just flat out awesome, on multiple levels. Thanks for sharing.

Both of y'all are blessed!
Thanks for sharing...


George