A Texas woman pushed and carried her brother, a wheelchair user and survivor of childhood leukemia, through the annual CapTex Triathlon, an accomplishment that she described as the fulfillment of a “lifelong dream” of experiencing the race alongside her older sibling.
Erin Boeckman competed in her 47th race over the Memorial Day weekend, but this time, she crossed the finish line with her brother, Daniel Russell.
With help from two volunteers and several family members, the sibling duo pushed through a 750-meter swim, a 12.3-mile bike ride, and a 3.1-mile run, as KXAN-TV reported this week.
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“Crossing the finish line with Daniel beside me was the greatest moment of my racing journey,” Boeckman said. “We’ve overcome so much together, from his battle with childhood leukemia to the day I became his bone marrow donor.”
She acknowledged ahead of the triathlon that competing in the event while carrying a body and looking after her brother would be a different experience. But Boeckman expressed confidence in her ability to carry Russell throughout the race.
Russell, 40, lives with severe physical and developmental disabilities due to leukemia. He was only 18 months old when he was diagnosed with a blood leukemia, requiring him to undergo various forms of treatment, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
For Russell, the love he receives from his family and friends and the desire to be a good uncle to his nephew are some of the factors that keep him going, according to KXAN-TV.
Reflecting on his triathlon experience, the older brother remarked, “I may not have been the one running, but I felt like I was flying, especially on the bike!” His favorite part about reaching the finish line, according to the report, was “feeling the wind and speed.”
“The fact that my sister and I got to do this together and cross the finish line as a team means more to me than I can put into words,” Russell said.
The survivor of childhood leukemia happened to travel from New York to Austin, Texas, for a visit around the same time as the triathlon, according to a KXAN-TV report before the race.
The siblings had discussed racing together for five years, but Boeckman said that this has been “practically 40 years in the making.”
“Since Daniel was born,” the sister told KXAN-TV. “Because truly, growing up and seeing what he persevered through with childhood leukemia and all of the, you know, medical interventions he had to take and the struggles that he has now, I learned perseverance and discipline and self-care through learning from my older brother.”
“That’s an invaluable gift that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. And it truly just gives me that extra motivation to keep pushing through,” she continued. “If he can beat leukemia and all these other medical conditions, then I can finish races, and I can carry him through it with me.”
When Boeckman was only 9 months old, she saved her older brother’s life by becoming his bone marrow donor, as KXAN-TV reported. Boeckman said that she has always been very caring of Russell, helping him in school and around the house, and she believes that this has helped shape who she is today.
“He has like, an extra level of, I don’t want to say fragility, but like, sensitivity that has just brought me a lot of empathy in my life and kind of recognizing that everybody’s going through something, everybody has needs,” she said.
The younger sister volunteers with Ainsley’s Angels, an organization that raises awareness about America’s special needs community and works to ensure everyone can compete in endurance events. Ainsley’s Angels also provided the siblings with equipment to help them make it through the race, which Boeckman incorporated into her training so she’d be used to it by the event.
Ahead of the triathlon, Boeckman said that participating in the race with her brother has been a “lifelong dream” for her.
“This is all about empowerment, inclusivity, giving him the chance to, like, really feel a triathlon,” the sister said. “I’ve done many of these, and I’ve had the, you know, the opportunity to. He hasn’t yet, but he will on Monday, and we’re so excited for that. And it’s all about him.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
