In face of deadly disease, Galligan embraced athletics
When athletes begin the grueling course this Sunday in McMinnville’s City Triathlon, they will be following in some dedicated footsteps, those of Devin Galligan.
This year’s triathlon will be run in honor of Galligan, an athlete who overcame incredible odds to run many races during his life. Galligan passed away in December after losing a battle with brain cancer. He was 31.
The last race in which Devin competed was the McMinnville City Triathlon. That’s one of the reasons this year’s triathlon is dedicated to this dedicated athlete.
If there was one trait that defined Devin Galligan, it would be his determination. He never gave up, no matter what hurdles life presented. Devin saw life as a race, and in many ways, that’s the way he lived it.
From the time Devin was a child, according to his father and local attorney Mike Galligan, he loved athletics, and showed an early knack for athletic pursuits.
“From the time he could walk,” Mike said, “he had, really, unbelievable eye-hand coordination. You had to think of him in terms of athletics as a young person. He played baseball around here with Cat Walker. He was on a traveling team.”
Devin went on to attend Baylor in Chattanooga where he played football and played for Hampton-Sydney college as well. While in college, he also learned to skydive and pilot an airplane.
He was a young man who loved a challenge. Most any kind of challenge. Even the challenge of dealing with a life-threatening disease.
Shortly after being accepted into Marine Corps officer program, Devin suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1996 at the age of 24. He underwent surgery in December of that year with a regimen of chemotherapy afterward.
Some confronted with this kind of challenge might have given up, but that wasn’t Devin’s way. Instead, he decided to use his athletic prowess to raise money to aid brain tumor research. Amazingly, he went on to compete in the New York City Marathon, a 26.2 mile race, in 1997.
Calling his run “Strain for the Brain,” he asked both individuals and companies to donate to the Neurology Fund at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.
Devin used his natural athleticism to improve his health and deal with the disease. He believed in being active and physically fit, and made running a major part of his recovery process.
“With hard work and despite my recent medical endeavors,” he said in his mission statement for the run, “I am in the best shape of my life. Feeling very fortunate, I want to give back to the health professionals responsible for my treatments and help provide an optimistic future in the fight against brain tumors.”
He went on to run many more races, including the Boston Marathon, and eventually branched out to compete in triathlons. He proudly carried the torch for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
He became a much-loved children’s soccer coach. In the midst of all this, he also took time out to become a loving husband to wife, Kristi, and father to two sons, Zachary, 7, and Alexander, 2.
“Our family is very honored by the triathlon’s dedication to Devin,” said wife Kristi. “Devin felt very strongly that keeping your body as healthy as possible, including exercise and eating correctly, was very important. That your body is basically a temple. He was a tremendous model of healthy living. He firmly believed that exercise was one of the foundations of life.”
What: McMinnville City Triathlon
When: Sunday
Where: Civic Center
Time: 7:30 a.m.