When I joined the varsity swim team my freshman
year of high school, I had no idea how much of an impact it was going to have
on my life. I walked into the first day of practice intimidated yet eager,
anxious to see what this team was all about. That is when Coach Joe Gentry
walked into my life, and he has remained there ever since. Joe passed away this
past November, after a very long battle with prostate cancer. While I am still
grappling with the loss and the grief, as are all of his loved ones, my
teammates, and all those whose lives he touched (believe me—it was a lot), I
will to try to do him justice in this short blog post. I want make it known
what a true inspiration this man was to every person he met, and why I have and
always will continue to Relay.
It is an understatement to say Joe Gentry was
popular in the Virginia Beach community. Joe Gentry was nothing short of a
celebrity. Play the “six-degrees-of-separation” game with anyone you know, and
I guarantee you’ll find a connection to Joe Gentry. This is a testament to the
type of man Joe was. When you talked to Joe, he listened. And I mean, really
listened. He would stare into you with his piercing blue eyes, intent on
getting to know the “you” beneath the surface. He connected with every single
person he encountered, and beyond connection, he inspired every single person
as well.
Joe was the type of fighter who acted as if he wasn’t
fighting at all. During the many ups and downs of his battle with cancer, my
teammates and I watched Joe spend countless hours on the pool deck in between
treatments, and it seemed he was always standing over us and yelling that we
needed to quit slacking off (in the best way possible). He was a biology
teacher at my high school as well, and was extremely devoted to his students. When
his cancer became more demanding, he was constantly coming in for half-days and
absolutely dreading getting a substitute on days when he was feeling really
bad. Coaching and educating were his life’s work. He and his wife Debbie always
told us, not having kids of their own, that we were their children. That meant
the world to all of us swimmers.
Joe was constantly fighting, but he lived life better than
any person I know. This man literally
oozed love and compassion. There is just no better way to put it. But beneath
this love was a fire—a passion to coach and to lead. He inspired me to be the
best I could be in everything I did. There were swim practices when I would be
swimming so many 100 freestyles that I practically lost count, on the verge of
giving up or just feeling extremely frustrated and over it. But when I would
look to my side to breathe and see Coach Gentry, a man battling something so
much bigger than any of us could imagine, something incomparable to a tough
swim set or a hard day at school, I was motivated to keep going. He instilled
in me, and so many others, a sense of perseverance and pride that I am thankful
for every day.
When I found out about the severity of Joe’s illness this
past November, I made a trip home to Virginia Beach to see him. I found myself
in denial that it could be the last time I’d see him, and I could barely
compose myself. While the image of Joe in his last few days remains in my mind,
a much stronger image of him will permeate for my lifetime. This image is
Coach—an image of a passionate leader, the kindest soul, a true giver, and the
strongest man I will ever have the pleasure and privilege to know. Joe Gentry
is why I Relay, and why I will continue the fight to end this dreadful disease.
I fight for more years with the ones who inspire us, who love us, and make us
better each and every day.
I fight for Joe Gentry, because I know for a
fact he fought for me.
RelayLove,
