Jeff Jewell remembered
"Once in a lifetime friend" and "guardian angel" are a few phrases people used to describe Jeff Jewell. Jeff had a life that will never be duplicated. Although this piece is hard for me to write, I feel he has a story that should be shared. He was a husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, and athlete. His kindness was felt by so many people. For those of you who didn’t know Jeff, read on to learn about a person that truly changed people's lives. For those of you that did, hopefully this article will remind you of the inspiration he gave you. I know it did for me.
In the world of triathlon, Jeff was well known for his job as a massage therapist for Team USA from 2001-2009. He would travel all over the world with the team, making friends along the way, and if you were one of the lucky ones that knew Jeff, then you knew how special of a person he was. “I brought on Jeff to travel with Team USA and it was such a joy to work with him. I also helped Jeff get started doing massages in Ironman Hawaii. Whether in Kona or some other location around the world, Jeff was in his element,” a co-worker of Jeff recalls.
Jeff was the hardest worker I ever met. From triathletes to ultra-runners, he knew the human body inside and out and how to make every athlete feel special. He had a skill that no one could match. He took massage to another level that only his clients could understand. Jeff understood what had to be done for his clients to do their best athletically and never stopped short to help them meet their goals, often working 14 hour days, well into the night. It was this drive and determination combined with his friendship, love, and kindness that allowed him to have the largest circle of friends of anyone that I know.
Then there was Ironman Hawaii, one of his favorite places to work and the highlight of the year. Jeff loved Kona and worked so hard everyday until late at night making sure athletes’ bodies were ready to go. While in Kona in 2009, my dad was complaining of some pain in his leg. Jeff overheard this and said, “Ken, meet me on Friday morning before the race and I’ll get that leg feeling a lot better – it’s on me.” A rare treat for my dad who never had a massage, and later told me the best part of the massage was just talking to Jeff one on one and learning what a great person he was.
Since Jeff lived close to me in Colorado, I would always seek out his massage therapy before my races in Kona. Not only was he one of my closest friends, but he was the only person who knew my body better than me, “Timmy Hola,” he’d say, “If there is ever a time I can’t work on you, tell your next massage therapist to spend all day on your calves. Those things need some work!”
Originally from Middletown, Ohio, Jeff and his wife Sherry made Colorado their home after they were married. They immediately fell in love with the Colorado mountains, especially those in Winter Park. It was in Winter Park where Jeff and Sherry would go to find peace and discover a true love for the mountains. Days were spent snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, enjoying their morning Starbucks, strengthening their love for each other, and they eventually bought a condo in town. In December 2008, a few months before he was diagnosed with cancer, my wife Nikki and I stayed with them over a weekend and watched Jeff help our kids learn how to ski for the first time. “Jeff had a special connection with kids and he showed love in everything he did,” my wife Nikki said of Jeff.
It was in February 2009 when Jeff and I were enjoying a Mix 1 at his home just a few days before his birthday, when he complained of headaches. Days later a CAT scan revealed a 6×5 cm tumor the size of a lemon behind his left eye. On February 14th, he underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Unfortunately this was just the beginning of Jeff’s battle of what was diagnosed as Stage 4 glioblastoma cancer. As months went on, Jeff continued to fight through his chemo, radiation, and four brain surgeries. However, he did not let that stop him from keeping as fit as he could. “I have never heard of someone washing a chemo pill down with some wheat grass on the way to the gym! His attitude was always positive and for someone who should be completely drained of energy after his treatments, Jeff was still dishing positive energy out to everyone who he came in contact with,” a close family friend, Greg Krause said.
Jeff was not your typical cancer patient. Embracing a healthy lifestyle defined Jeff, and he certainly would not stand for cancer getting in his way of doing what he wanted to do. His fitness made him stronger. All through his treatments, he would still work out as much as his body would let him doing his best, trying not to skip a beat. After speaking to him one day after a 6 hour chemo treatment, he said he felt great and wanted to get in a quick workout before the day was out. Just one example of how much Jeff wanted to defeat cancer. The bottom line was that Jeff loved life. He loved it in a way that made him feel inspired and motivated. He loved sharing his life with his wife of 15 years, Sherry. Never have I seen such a connection between two people. It made me and everyone else realize how fortunate we are.
Words cannot describe how much he treated people with respect and care. The fact that he was always uplifting made him everyone’s friend. I was always amazed on how he noted all the good things in life and never the bad. That probably was how he created the largest circle of great close friends of anyone I knew. In his own way he made each and everyone of his friends feel like a special part of his life. The nicknames he had for everyone, mine was “Titanic” because I could eat a lot, just plain made you laugh and gave you a good feeling no matter what mood you were in.
Family friend Kyle Boschen recalls many training days with Jeff, and one in particular while training for the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race, “Jeff and I trained for and raced the 2007 Leadville 100 together. The training that we did leading up to the event was what was so memorable. On one of our training days, we left Jeff’s house in Superior on our mountain bikes and rode out into the mountains, up over the Continental Divide and down into Winter Park. It was six hours of climbing and one hour of descending and was one of those epic days out on the bike telling stories, laughing and training hard.”
As his cancer progressed, Jeff would transition between UCLA and Colorado for treatments, where he was the happiest. He continued this until July 2010 when it was advised that he remain at the UCLA hospital. As October came closer, Jeff’s condition was deteriorating to a point that concerned everyone who was following his progress on his website. It was particularly difficult for me since I knew this would be the first time in 6 years when I would not see Jeff in Kona. I thought of him through the entire race and imagined seeing his smiling face screaming my name with my family on Palani Road just like in years past. In my heart I knew he was there.
Heading into late October his health deteriorated to a vegetative state. On October 28th, it was communicated to Jeff’s family and friends that there were no future medical treatments available for him and that the disease and side effects continued to progress. On November 14, Jeff came back to Colorado where he was greeted like a celebrity by 60 of his closest friends. He died the next day at a hospice in Louisville with Sherry at his side. Below is the last journal entry posted by Sherry after hundreds of updates and just under 90,000 website hits:
My Heart is heavy and broken….
After arriving home to Colorado and being surrounded by the love of so many friends for two days, JJ now rests peacefully in God's hands forever.
Jeffery Robert Jewell
February 08, 1969 ~ November 15, 2010
Viva la JJ….Peace Baby!
Jeff was a role model for all of us, a one of a kind person that you just felt lucky to know. The times we laughed so hard together are priceless and will be with me forever. If there is one thing I have learned from Jeff it is to live life to its fullest. You never know what is around the corner so take advantage of all that life has to offer. Thanks Jeff for all those times you made me and everyone else in your life feel so special. We’ll never forget you.
A website has been set up to help raise money for Jeff’s family to cover the expenses associated with his battle with cancer. You can visit http://www.giveforward.com/jewell-fundraiser to donate.
