Coach determined to keep working despite serious health setbacks
A well-known former Olympian and long-serving sprint coach has been left blind in his right eye and is fighting kidney disease, yet insists his commitment to athletes remains unchanged.
The 51-year-old, who heads the track and field programme at Lutheran and runs training sessions at UPSWING in Centennial, said he lost vision in his right eye after severe glaucoma. Two operations to save the sight in that eye failed, and further surgery is planned for his left eye.
In addition to the eye operations, he underwent an ankle operation shortly after May’s state championship meeting at Jeffco Stadium to treat a blood clot in his lower leg. Those procedures are part of a growing list of medical problems that have left him exhausted and unable to train or coach as he usually would.
“I always tell other trainers that your coach’s eye is so important. Well, it’s even more important now for me because I only have one of them.”
He combines his coaching work with training and local duties and has previously coached at Fairview and Valor Christian before joining Lutheran’s staff 12 years ago. The conditions have hit his family hard — he lives with his fiancée, Tess Ryan, and their five children — and they have had to tighten household spending while he attends multiple medical appointments.
Financial strain and community support
The coach estimates he is spending about $1,000 a week on consultations and specialist appointments. A GoFundMe organised over the summer raised around $17,000, but he said that amount covered only a fraction of the total costs.
- Age: 51
- Conditions: Severe glaucoma (right eye blindness), kidney disease
- Recent operations: Two failed surgeries on right eye, ankle surgery for blood clot
- Support so far: Approx. $17,000 raised via GoFundMe
He described the mental toll of his reduced capacity to work as especially difficult. “I can’t work like I usually work, which is killing me,” he said, explaining that fatigue and exhaustion have severely limited his seasonal training commitments. The loss of the ability to coach at his usual intensity has been as damaging psychologically as it has been financially.
Daily life adjustments include selling personal items and cutting non-essential spending. His fiancée has been working extra shifts at her restaurant to help meet the family’s expenses.
Local impact and the wider coaching community
The coach’s situation has resonated within the local athletics community. He remains resolute about continuing to coach despite the physical limitations and the risk to his earnings. He underlined the importance of the coach’s observational skills — “the coach’s eye” — and how losing one eye alters how he does his job but not his determination.
Colleagues and athletes who have benefited from his experience and coaching over more than a decade will be watching to see how he adapts his methods. There are broader questions for amateur and school sports about the provision of medical and financial support for volunteer and semi-professional coaches, who often work without substantial pay but provide essential development for young athletes.
| Event | When |
|---|---|
| Ankle surgery for blood clot | Shortly after May state meet |
| Two failed surgeries on right eye | Over the summer |
| GoFundMe raised | About $17,000 |
For local residents and sporting groups, his predicament is a reminder of the vulnerabilities coaches can face when serious health issues strike. While community fundraising has provided some relief, long-term care costs remain daunting. He says he will pursue further surgery and continue trying to balance medical treatment with his coaching commitments.
Those wishing to support him or learn more about his situation are likely to find details via the local training centre where he works or through the GoFundMe campaign that raised funds earlier in the summer.
