Roy swims, bikes, and runs with pride,
But his greatest strength’s the love he provides.
With every finish line he crosses with zest,
It’s Tracy’s smile that he loves the best.
This is an excerpt of the heart-warming poem that well-known Lowvelder and quadriplegic, Tracy Todd Heine, wrote to her husband Roy in celebration of their ninth wedding anniversary.
Five days later Roy died in his sleep of a massive heart attack.
ALSO READ: Roy Heine, husband of Tracy Todd Heine, passes away
For days, Lowvelders could talk of nothing but Roy and Tracy’s wedding – the Slowveld’s celebrity event of the year – on April 30, 2016. Roy’s symbolic gesture on the day – a poster evolving from ‘for my friend’ to ‘for my girl’ to ‘for my wife’ – marked their journey together.
Tracy, who became a quadriplegic after a car accident 18 years earlier, found love and support in Roy, an avid runner who vowed to honour her strength by completing races on her behalf. This is how ‘Sexy Legs’ became a playful yet powerful symbol in their love story.
“Mom is devastated!” Chad Todd, Tracy’s son told Lowvelder on Monday. “We as family are also still in shock and can still not believe that this happened. He was a one-of-a-kind human being.”
Roy, a fitness fanatic, participated in umpteen marathons (among them the Comrades) and also took part in Ironman competitions.
ALSO READ: Tracy Todd’s memoir – ‘We did it!’
He could not sit still. If he wasn’t swimming or running, he was peddling somewhere on his bicycle,” Chad said.
Roy participated in the annual Uniwisp 2-in-1 half-marathon in Mbombela on Saturday.
“After the marathon he told a number of people how well and fit he felt. This was his last race in preparation for the Isuzu Ironman 70.3 Durban in June,” Chad said.
After Saturday’s race Roy had lunch with Gail and Henry Sinclair, Tracy’s parents, before going home. He had taken a shower and lay down on the bed. Sunday morning just before noon, Gail saw that the bedroom curtains were still closed. She found it to be strange as Roy was an early riser. Henry went to investigate and found Roy in his bed. It is suspected that he must have died during the night.
Tracy was out on a week-long girls’ holiday’ with a couple of friends at the Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge in the Balule Reserve when she received the devastating news of Roy’s death.
Roy and his two sons, Tim and Phil, would have participated in the Chicago marathon in October.
It was very clear that Roy was so excited about the trip. In a Facebook post three weeks ago he wrote: “I’m turning 70 this year. Can you believe it? Time stands still for no one. Fortunately, I’ve managed to stay active and mostly healthy throughout my life (aside from a couple of heart issues). So to celebrate it, my sons – Tim and Phil – decided that we needed to run one destination event together before my time runs out.”
Phil told Lowvelder earlier this week that he and his brother will still do it in honour of their dad.
ALSO READ: Tracy’s wedding: All the moments you need to see
“The whole idea of doing the run started last year when Tim, who works in the Cayman Islands, entered for the race. It was then that the idea came up for all three of us to do it to celebrate dad’s 70th birthday on September 18. We know it will be a very tough race for us, as it will be an emotional event,” Phil said.
One of the aims of participating in the race was to raise funds on behalf of Unite 2 Fight Paralysis, in support of their mission to accelerate curative therapies for people with spinal cord injuries.
“We are still committed to raising $4 000 (around R73k) for our charity by the completion of the race. I am appealing to you for your help. No amount is too small. Every little bit helps.”
Donations can be made at https://secure.qgiv.com/event/2025bacm/team/990742/
A memorial service will be held for Roy at Jock Pub and Grill at 10:00 on Saturday, May 10.
Tracy’s poem, written for their ninth wedding anniversary on April 30:
Celebrating 9 years of marriage today,
Nine years together, what a beautiful ride,
With love and laughter, side by side.
Roy, the Ironman with legs that impress,
And Tracy, who shines with grace, no less.
Roy swims, bikes, and runs with pride,
But his greatest strength’s the love he provides.
With every finish line he crosses with zest,
It’s Tracy’s smile that he loves the best.
Tracy, on wheels, is strength redefined,
With a heart full of courage, a brilliant mind.
Her spirit soars, her will is strong,
She teaches us all to keep moving along.
Together they’ve faced the highs and
the lows,
Through windy roads and soft sunset glows.
They’ve laughed, they’ve stumbled, they’ve soared like the breeze,
Finding beauty in life’s twists and the small victories.
So here’s to their love, still growing
each day,
Still running, still rolling, come what may.
Nine years of joy, and so many more to go-
A love that keeps racing, together
they flow.
