To those who knew my friend, Linda Sharron
Sorry for the group email, but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss
anybody. I'm not sure who knows and who doesn't know because I've
talked to so many people this week, but in case you haven't heard,
I'm sad to tell you that Linda passed away this past week.
(Click here to read her obituary)
In Memory of Linda
I have so many memories of Linda, but the one that stands out clearest in my mind right now is Linda leaping three feet in the air with a huge smile on her face yelling "You can do it! You can do it!"
A lot of people know that when it came to my music, Linda was one my biggest supporters ever. She included many of my songs in her screenplay, produced some awesome music videos and came to many of my performances.
What is not as well known is that she supported my efforts to run the Boston Marathon last year, as well as three more marathons after that. When I ran Boston, Linda gave my friends Joe and Frances and I a ride to the starting line. She decorated her whole car with words all over it rooting us on and she hand made big signs to hold up when we came running by. Linda, Scottie and Frank were rooting for us in Framingham, and then they cheered for us on Heartbreak Hill. I finished in just under five hours.
After Boston, Joe and Frances told us they were running another marathon in Maine the next month. I said I would go up there and run that one, too, and Linda immediately said she was going to run it, too. She only trained for one month, but there she was at the starting line, and sure enough, she completed the whole 26.2 miles in just under five hours, the same time I ran Boston.
The third marathon I ran was in July in Wakefield where we ran a loop around a lake nine times. Linda was flying home from Prague that day, but she had Johnny Mac pick her up at the airport and drive her straight to the course. When I was about 21 miles into the run with three laps to go, Linda showed up and ran with me the rest of the way, keeping my spirits up and getting me water to drink, and I finished in just over four hours.
My goal for my fourth marathon, the Bay State Marathon in Lowell, was to run it in a time under 3 hours and 30 minutes, which would qualify me for the Boston Marathon. The first time I ran Boston I was unofficial, and this time I wanted to be official. I trained hard, but I had many doubts that I could complete it that fast. Linda never did, she kept saying I was going to do it.
I never asked anyone to go to that race because I wanted to stay focused, so I drove up there alone and started the race without anyone there to cheer me on. But at the 3 mile mark, there was Linda with a big sign in her hand that said, "Run Hard, Damgaard!" She was smiling that big smile of hers and I smiled back and high-fived her as I ran by.
At the 13 mile mark, there was Linda again, with a big grin and a sign that said, "Pain Is Only Temporary, Glory Is Forever!" "You're right on pace," she yelled as I high-fived her again and surged on. Linda knew what time I needed to run, down to my mile splits, and she knew the window of time I had to be under in order to make it in three and half hours.
When I came to the 23 mile mark, I could see Linda looking down the road for me. I saw her first and I drifted over to her side of the road. I had three miles to go and when she saw me she knew I was on pace to make it and she leapt about three feet in the air, pumping her fist and yelling, "You can do it! You can do it!"
I'll never forget that moment. When I saw her doing that, I got goose bumps, and for the first time I thought, yes I can do this, I really can. Linda jumped on her bike and yelled, "I'll see you at Victory Park!" She met me at the finish line and had a nice cold beer waiting for me. I finished in 3 hours and 26 minutes, four
minutes ahead of the time I needed. Linda and I laughed and laughed with joy for about twenty minutes. I felt like she and I had won the race together.
I'm really going to miss that woman, she was so good to me. I can't stop thinking about her, and at the same time, I know I've got to carry on. Linda left me with so much inspiration and I'm going to use that to keep me going. And I know, every time I try to achieve something and work hard at it, I'm going to see a vision of Linda
jumping three feet in the air yelling, "You can do it! You can do it!"
I'll never forget you, Linda,
Scott Damgaard
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