Competitor - August 2017

10 STARTING LINES

BUZZ

PHOTO: RYAN BETHKE/CGI

MORE THAN

MEDALS

When one woman’s medals

are stolen, her community’s

response is amazing!

BY DON NORCROSS

In that helter-skelter state of moving,

Andrea Abel sat down a plastic bin

next to her Toyota RAV4, then dashed

upstairs to grab the top of the bin and

a couple other items. Gone for four

minutes max, Abel returned to her car

and was stunned. The bin, fi lled with

more than 100 running medals, had

been stolen.

Describing the feeling when she discov-

ered the bin had vanished, the 33-year-old

says, “It’s disbelief, frustration, disap-

pointment, horror, shock. I mean, it’s

every runner’s worst nightmare.”

In this case, her tale highlights the

kindness bestowed by strangers who

felt a woman’s loss. Within two weeks,

nearly 80 of Abel’s medals had been

recovered or replaced.

“There’s so much out there right now

that’s negative in the world,” says Abel.

“To have this positivity fest, it’s been

amazing. It was really heartwarming to

see it unfold.”

Besides medals, Abel lost jewelry,

pictures and personal mementos. But

it was the medals that made her cry.

She spread lost-and-found signs in

her San Diego beach neighborhood.

She scoured alley trash cans. “I never

thought I would spend so much time

dumpster diving, but it’s worth it to me.”

A local TV station heard about the

stolen medals and ran a story.

Barely 24 hours after losing the medals,

a man who spotted one of Abel’s signs

called her, relaying that he had heard the

unmistakable sound of medals clanging.

He turned around, spotting a man with

about 15 medals draped around his neck.

“I know where those medals are from,”

said the man. The bling wearer said he

had found them in an alley.

At least 16 of Abel’s medals were

earned at Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon

Series events. The former high school

cross-country runner has run eight

marathons and nearly 40 half mar-

athons. Hearing about Abel’s loss,

series organizers found medals from

14 of her races and presented them to

her—along with a free entry to a future

Rock ’n’ Roll event.

“We know what those medals mean to

runners,” says Dan Cruz, vice president

of communications for the Rock ’n’ Roll

Marathon Series. Abel’s response? “I’m

so overwhelmed and appreciative that

the running community would take the

time to dig through a warehouse and

fi nd these old medals.”

Day after day, more medals came in.

The University of California San Diego

Ph.D. student says, “I am so amazed.”

Cancer killed her father in 2002 and

her grandfather in 2010. She vowed

to run the 2010 Chicago Marathon in

their honor. The date of the race: Oct.

10, 2010—10-10-10.

As Abel dug through a batch of

medals that were returned, she

spotted her medal from Chicago.

“This medal started my journey,” she

says. “It’s dedicated to my dad and

grandpa. When I saw it, I broke down

and cried.”

“TO HAVE THIS POSITIVITY FEST,

IT’S BEEN AMAZING.”

For

the full

story click

here.

CM0817_FOB_SL.indd 10 7/27/17 12:26 PM