Why I Run for Riley, Set 4
By: Lauren Westmoreland
Riley’s girlfriend of 5 years
I remember in 8th grade, excited at the prospect of entering high school and all it had to offer, there was a day in which all the rising freshman could speak to the coaches of each sports team at TC Roberson and get a better idea of which teams we might want to join as we started this new endeavor. I spoke the most to Roberson’s cross country coach, Dave Culp, who spoke about the team in a way that made me excited to join the girls team the next year, to have a solid community while navigating the brand new territory of a new school. Although I never ended up joining the team as a freshman, in our senior year, Riley decided on a whim to join up with cross country, to be a part of a team with his friends and to run. I thought about it too for myself, and being a practical and methodical person, I always felt I had to have a rationalization to my choices, my course of action and my plans for myself. But when Riley joined that team, not being a runner, just to be a part of the community and to run outside amongst the trees at the arboretum, to enjoy the afternoons with his friends and to push himself in something he hadn’t really done before, I decided to join myself, no planning, no preparation, no forethought. It was the perfect way to cap off the senior year. Riley was always teaching me that: how to let go, how to be in the moment, and how to appreciate new things and new perspectives and learn new skills and trades without thinking too hard or too long about the why or the how or the when. One race in particular stands out to me: when I rounded a corner on the course to enter the woods, and there stood Riley with a group of his best friends, yelling for me as loud as they could, Riley with that signature excited giggle and grin that forced me to push away my exhaustion and drive a little bit harder into the ground to shave off those few seconds, seconds that made me feel successful, made me feel strong and capable and gave me drive to get an even faster time the next race. By the end of the season, I had run a 5k in less than 23 minutes, and though it was only a sort of personal record, it never would’ve happened without Riley.
Since he gave his life in April of 2019, I have found myself running from many things. I have found myself running from the difficult things, the ugly things, the painful, gut-wrenching aspects of complex grief that leave you gasping for air and praying to whatever powers-that-be that you make it through to the next day because the current one seems unbearable. I have run from the feelings that arise when I least expect it, from the hard decisions I have faced without him. But I have also found myself running towards things too. Towards the comfort of family, the warmth of a king bed filled with his dogs and his brother and sisters as we tried to sleep through the night and stave off the bad dreams. Towards the adventures that ended up awaiting us following his death, when we stole away into the canyons and the mountains and the woods that gave us a moment to step away from it all and appreciate the beauty of the world around us and carry us through to the next day without it feeling quite as heavy as it once might have been. Towards the endless outpouring of love, generosity, faith, and connection that have brought so many of us together, to grieve and to laugh and reminisce on all of our times together as though Riley was never gone. And in truth, he is never gone. He is in the trees and in the wind, in the sound of the spring peepers when the cold is just beginning to shake off the world, in the quiet of the lake in the evening time when the hush settles over the water and the stars peek through the blanket of the sky. When I run for Riley, I imagine all the times I have run into his arms, to feel his tight, warm, loving embrace, and I have ever been more certain that I can run another step.
By: Hank Pritchard
Riley’s cousin
Ri and I had our differences. Well, physically was the most obvious with me always being taller and lanky, and Ri being shorter and ripped. I kept my hair almost close to a buzz, and Ri always had his long, glowing locks. He also had his passion for cars, cooking and video games, while I loved basketball, golf and fishing. For all our differences though, we have always been one in the same.
Ri and I have always been gentle to others. That’s just a gift that God blessed us with. We both are kind-spirited, compassionate and have a genuine love towards animals. I truly feel like his blood runs through me. I will carry these traits we share for the rest of my life.
Ri and I were never big runners, but anything we put our minds to, we knew we could achieve. As Ri and I know, believed, and in the words of the great Tom Petty says “I Won’t Back Down.” Ri, you are more than my cousin. You are one of my best friends. You are my hero. I love you forever, brother.
By: Matt-Sale Howell
Riley’s uncle
I never thought that a newborn baby I held in my arm would end up being my hero! All of us already knew he would look after others since he was a little boy especially when he sneaked in to make an unauthorized phone call to the fire department following up on his concern with the fire alarm sound and his Deaf uncle issue. This little boy has grown to be a humble young guy who kept his eyes over the world.
Why I Run for Riley? First of all, I hate to run! I know Ri up there is probably laughing at how I run. But there is no question that I would run for Riley. There will never be a paid off debt the world could ever pay for his life. Per his well-known quote, “Fear Less, Do More” I will be contributing in more this year by filming the Mighty Four Miler hoping to spread the event and knowledge out over the world.
At last, Riley is always my reminder as an inspiration to life whenever I need it!
By: Lucas Tate
Riley’s friend
The word “stop” wasn’t in Riley’s vocabulary. Whether it was on the trail, in the Howell barn, or in life he didn’t know or care to know what it meant. Sometimes I would try to get him to stop on our adventures, and I will forever wish I could have told him to stop in Charlotte on April 30, 2019, but he wouldn’t have listened that would have been against Riley stood for and who he was.
Riley was all about go - let’s go do this, let’s go do that, let’s go do it now! I remember one night at the Howell farm, we were fighting the light of day but we wanted to climb to the top of one of the surrounding peaks that looked over the homestead. Me, thinking we couldn’t make it, said let’s just go in the morning, but Riley said no way, we’re going now and of course, I agreed. As we booked it up the hill, I could see the light starting to fade and thought we wouldn’t make it in time to catch the sunset. But we did, and the colors were outstanding making it, to this day, one of the prettiest sunsets I have ever seen.
Riley wouldn’t have wanted us to stop - in his race or in our lives. For that reason, I not only run for Riley on race day, but everyday. Riley couldn’t have always been around while he was here with us on Earth, but now he IS always with us in Spirit. When you have Riley with you 24/7 telling you to never stop and to always go, it’s pretty hard to argue. That’s why I run.
