Alicia Shay has had a steady stream of visitors to the Flagstaff, Ariz., home that she and Ryan moved into a year ago. Her former Stanford teammates have come to train with her, including Lauren Fleshman, the 2006 U.S. 5,000 champion. Ryan Hall, the Olympic trials marathon champion, and his wife, Sara, stayed with Shay in January. Her parents and two sisters have been regular visitors.
“I was amazed being there seeing first-hand how she deals with Ryan’s death day to day,” says Sara Hall, who was a bridesmaid in the Shays’ wedding. “She told me before that God was meeting her every need each day. To actually be there and see that was incredible. Her faith is very real.”
So is the pain that can surface suddenly. “All day I have thoughts and memories of Ryan and us moving into my mind,” says Shay, who hosted an Easter brunch for 35 that included many runners. “When I’m not with people I can let down with, I’m constantly overriding and repressing those thoughts, memories and emotions. That’s when a small thing can set me off and it all comes crashing down.
“A lot of times at night, it really gets hard. You lay there and there’s nothing to distract you. Sometimes If I can say it out loud, I can move on. Or I cry and five minutes later, I can handle the rest of the day.”
Elizabeth caught this one in yesterday’s USA Today–read it all.
This story rings true. I know a couple that is related to Alicia Shay (their son is married to her sister). They were my parishioners in a former church. They were present at Alicia’s wedding, also there at the marathon trials the awful day Ryan died, and at his funeral. They have likewise testified at the incredible witness Alicia has been throughout her ordeal as a young widow. Interestingly, Ryan was a new convert. He had come to Christ in the last year or two before his tragically early death at age 28.
Regardless of whether she makes the Olympic team or not, Alicia has a promising future as a runner. But especially if she qualifies for Beijing, keep watching for stories about her. It could be one of the most touching and inspiring stories of the 2008 Olympics. She is the real deal, a true Christian struggling to overcome the lingering effects of such a devastating loss. She could be the “Chariots of Fire” story of our time.
David Handy+