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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Team's support buoys coach's cancer fight

By JOHN NAUGHTON and JOHN NAUGHTON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER JOHN NAUGHTON
April 14, 2005

Marengo, Ia. - The pain in Bob Brown's gut drifts away when he coaches his Iowa City Regina boys' track team. Brown is fighting cancer, with the help of athletes and his love for the sport. Brown, 62, keeps his competitive fires burning.

He's one of the state's most successful running coaches: five state boys' cross country titles, a strong girls' country program and a boys' track team. He's also battling pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed earlier this month. Hours after visiting his oncologist in the hospital Wednesday, he cheered on his team in the Ruth Ahrens Invitational at Marengo.

At the click of a stopwatch and a booming "Let's go Regals!" cheer, the pain lessens.

"Nothing hurts," Brown said. "It's not there. I can totally remove myself from it." He said he was diagnosed with third stage pancreatic cancer on April 1. He's facing radiation and chemotherapy treatments. But he doesn't feel alone. Brown's support structure includes more than 100 phone calls and a thick stack of get-well cards.

"It transcends coaching," Brown said. "Every one of them says, 'I'll do anything for you.' " His athletes help their coach with performances dedicated to their coach. "It's redefined the meaning of leadership for our team," said Regina senior John Dwyer, who ran on a 4 x 800-meter relay team that snapped a 22-year-old school record Friday.

Coach and team have inspired one another. Brown gathered his athletes after a meet on April 2 and told them: I have cancer. It's bad. "He sat us down on the high jump area and told us," Dwyer said. "As I was walking off the track, it hit me and I broke down. He came over and talked to me. Here, he's fighting this and he had the words of encouragement for me." Junior Mike O'Connell took the coach's illness as an opportunity to repay a debt of gratitude. O'Connell was injured last fall during a state football playoff game.

Emergency surgery was performed in Iowa City to repair a perforated bowel. Coach Brown visited him every day in the hospital. Now O'Connell's encouraging his coach's struggles. "It's almost like a switched role," O'Connell said. "He was the one always there, encouraging me. . . I'll always be there for him." Brown continues to coach the team. His athletes, both track and cross country runners, wear purple wristbands dedicated to the fight against pancreatic cancer. They read: "Say it, fight it, cure it."

Distance runner Michael Sinkey said he and his teammates run hard to make their coach happy and show their support. "We'll let our legs speak for ourselves," Sinkey said.

Marengo, Ia. - The pain in Bob Brown's gut drifts away when he coaches his Iowa City Regina boys' track team. Brown is fighting cancer with the help of athletes and his love for the sport. Brown, 62, keeps his competitive fires burning. He's one of the state's most successful running coaches: five state boys' cross country titles, a strong girls' country program and a boys' track team. He's also battling pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed earlier this month. Hours after visiting his oncologist in the hospital Wednesday, he cheered on his team in the Ruth Ahrens Invitational at Marengo. At the click of a stopwatch and a booming "Let's go Regals!" cheer, the pain lessens.

"Nothing hurts," Brown said. "It's not there. I can totally remover myself from it." He said he was diagnosed with third stage pancreatic cancer on April 1. He's facing radiation and chemotherapy treatments. But he doesn't feel alone. Brown's support structure includes more than 100 phone calls and a thick stack of get-well cards. "It transcends coaching," Brown said. "Every one of them says, 'I'll do anything for you.' " His athletes help their coach with inspiring performances dedicated to their coach. "It's redefined the meaning of leadership for our team," said Regina senior John Dwyer, who ran on a 4 x 800-meter relay team that snapped a 22-year-old school record Friday.

Coach and team have inspired one another. Brown gathered his athletes after a meet April 2 and told them: I have cancer. It's bad. "He sat us down on the high jump area and told us," Dwyer said. "As I was walking off the track, it hit me and I broke down. He came over and talked to me. Here, he's fighting this and he had the words of encouragement for me." Junior Mike O'Connell took the coach's illness as a opportunity to repay a debt of gratitude. O'Connell was injured last fall during a state football playoff game. Emergency surgery was performed in Iowa City to repair a perforated bowel. Coach Brown visited him every day in the hospital.

Now O'Connell's encouraging his coach's health struggles. "It's almost like a switched role," O'Connell said. "He was the one always there, encouraging me. . . I'll always be there for him." Brown continues to coach the team. His athletes, both track and cross country runners, wear purple wristbands dedicated to the fight against pancreatic cancer. They read, "Say it, fight it, cure it." Distance runner Michael Sinkey said he and his teammates run hard to make their coach happy and show their support. "We'll let our legs speak for ourselves," Sinkey said.

Brown's coaching marks Founded boys' and girls' cross country programs at Iowa City Regina in 1987. . . won five state boys' cross country titles and took runner-up honors once, with 12 top four finishes. . . Also coaches the successful boys' track team.

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