#LIVEONPURPOSE

"Why do We Fall?".....

"To Learn to Get Back Up"

My friend Scott Caldwell had fallen many many times. As Stacey Goff so honestly said today at Scott's memorial~ "Scott wasn't perfect, but He was Human". I think that is why so many people connected with him on so many different levels. He has been through it. The good, the bad and the really ugly.  He was REAL. And, through it all, he showed us how to get back up. One really doesn't know how they would react if given an advanced stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Scott Caldwell rose to the occasion and was a man on a mission for the last 6 months of his life. 

 I remember when Scott first moved back to Monroe, he was at rock bottom.  He had no car, no money, and his 2nd marriage was over. Some of his former boot campers & friends paid to get him an apartment near Forsythe so he could walk to "work" and get back on his feet. I was so happy he was back. Recovering from a broken pelvis from a horseback riding incident, I was the heaviest I had ever been and was itching to get back in shape.  That spring and summer, he helped me to get in the best shape of my life, start a running club and help my sister to begin her journey of getting healthy.

When I first met Scott, it was the summer of 2003. One of my very dearest friends (Jennifer Gunter) saw an article in the NewStar about this new bootcamp class.

She suggested we try it. We both were former runners in high school and were looking to stay in shape post college. Jennifer and I loved his class. We had an amazing group of people we worked out with. Stuart Gentry, his first wife Ann, David Reynolds, Chris Proctor, even Mayor Jamie Mayo were some of the originals. We even had sweet Jodi Mitchell in our group who tragically died in a car accident at that time. I remember us all attending her visitation.
  Fast forward to 2014, when he came back the 2nd time. We had the amazing group of people like my sister Holly Sanders, Laura Wooden, Arrah Burns, Becky Marshall, Jenny Swafford, Leslie Albritton, Mandy Magee, Donna Scallan, Mario Knox, Penny Acheson, Rachel Rose, and the list goes on and on.

This is when Scott helped play a huge role in the Jackalope Running Club starting. Here he was inspiring and motivating our runners at a group meeting back in Jan. I knew he wasn't feeling that great, but he didn't want to let me down, and he wanted the opportunity to share his story and mission with everyone.

There is something about working out next to a person that you become close. I can't really explain it. You show up, (most of the time with no make up at 5:30am) You sweat. You hurt. You cuss the Coach and You go home.

 Repeat.

 Repeat.

 Repeat.

 Friendships are formed and Scott knew how to help people feel like a team. I adore the people in bootcamp. I know I could call any of them at anytime and they would help me.

There are three women and three men who have played a huge roll in keeping bootcamp going while he was sick and now after his passing. Thank you to Christie Brodtman, Jennifer Sparks, Jenny Swafford, Dustin James, Matt Lyle and Michael Durham for all that you have done.

This photo was taken today after the Memorial Service of many of his former boot campers.  If you missed his Memorial Service today, I have to tell you, it was perfect. Laura Kilpatick & Staff did a wonderful job, the speakers were all amazing and I know he would of loved seeing all the bleachers filled with friends and loved ones in his shirts. 

Balloons were released at the end by everyone. 

Scott was wonderful in inspiring you and helping you to visualize and reach your goals. He had an activity where he would ask you to close your eyes and visualize what your goal was for your body, or for your life. He would then have you open your eyes and say "If your goal didn't immediately pop into your head, then you don't want it bad enough". 

This is so true. 

It goes hand in hand with his message to "Live on Purpose". 

What is your purpose in life???

We have created many shirts for Scott over the years, but I never dreamed we would be creating one to help his son Weston for his college years. 

100% of the profits of the Live on Purpose Turtle tee will be put in a 529 College account for Weston. The turtle came from a story he always told at bootcamp about little pet turtle who had an average life living in a cardboard box. He was fed and watered and life was okay.  Until one day, he got a little taste of freedom out in the world and wanted to get out his box and experience life. Scott wanted us all to not be satisfied with average and to "Live on Purpose".  We have currently sold 122 shirts.  We would like to at least get to 150. Orders will be taken until next Sat. June 4th. Order yours at www.mrpstees.com

Thank you in advance for helping. 

Love

Lissy