An Ordinary Person that had an Extraordinary Influence – Booyah Forever

Last week, on the night of September 3rd, I was talking to my mom on the phone and sitting at my computer scrolling down through my facebook not really reading anything, when I glanced at a post that said….

“This is terrible! Praying for Braydon Nielsen. Thinking of and praying for you too Melissa ♥”  linking to this post.  and then I read…. “I just got news Braydon passed. So sad “

My heart sunk, and I started  bawling.  My mom was wondering what in the world was wrong with me. I told her, through my tears, that a guy that I knew that lived in my area just got hit by a car while riding his road bike with the St. George Triathlon Club.  He was in the back, and the car said the sun was blinding his vision and he couldn’t see him and hit him.  He died on site.  I just couldn’t believe it.  This amazing man, with the most positive attitude of anyone I have ever met, with a wife and four children had just been taken from this world way to early, back to live with our Heavenly Father.  I stayed up most the night reading the amazing things people were posting to he and his wife on their facebook pages.  This man, Braydon Nielson, who probably thought he was just an ordinary man, truly inspired many and had an extraordinary influence on so many around him.  

Let me tell you a little about Braydon, and I really mean a little because I actually don’t know him very well, having only been around him a handful of times.  Braydon was an amazing person who influenced so many around him.  He was everyones best friend.  I am not kidding you.  I was thinking back trying to remember when and where I met Braydon, I think it was through my husband.  He lives in our stake, he knew my husband and my cousin, he was a nurse and life flight nurse, and active in scouting, which is how my husband knew him.  I had probably only talked to Braydon a handful of times in my life.  My husband and I were friends with him on facebook, and that is where I truly felt like Braydon had become our friend.  Any race I ran or achievement I accomplish, I would get a big” Booyah, way to go”, as a comment from Braydon.  He totally made you feel like his friend and that he cared about you, and he truly did!   I loved reading his posts everyday about what he was doing.  Whether it was flying in a helicopter to save a life, or training for his next race, or his last post about going to the temple with his wife, his post always ended with BOOYAH!  I am not sure when he started running, but he loved to run. He was a lot like me in the sense that he never ran very fast, he was always near the back.  But the one thing about Braydon that I will always remember is that he NEVER gave up.  In fact he ran the St. George Ironman 70.3 and missed the cutoff time for his running by only a few minutes.  A couple weeks later he signed up for the Boise 70.3 and finished!  

He had such a positive attitude.  I remember cheering for him and my friend finishing the St. George Marathon together and coming in near the end.  there was Braydon with a big smile on his face and as we yelled “Go Braydon”  He shouted a big “Booyah!”  That was his trademark.  At his funeral someone said, “Braydon was the only person on the earth that could make “Booyah” sound good!”  When Braydon would say Booyah, to me it meant, “Keep on going, don’t give up, this is so fun,  life is awesome!”  Because of Braydon I want to incorporate a Booyah attitude into my own life!  I want to always smile, and always make people feel like they are my friend.  I want to run and do Tri’s and not care where I come it, but only care that I had fun.  I want to encourage, lift and strengthen others.  Brayden was this and so much more.  May we all be a little more like Braydon in our life.  Booyah Braydon, till me meet again!

On Saturday I went to his funeral.  There were hundreds of people there, and so many, I am sure, who wished they could be there.  The talks were given about the positive influence Braydon was, and how he made everyone feel like their best friend.  After the funeral they they had an amazing procession where life flight did a flyover at above the hearse, and then 2 ambulances, all lot of his coworkers and then about a hundred bikers all dressed in green and black, went a mile down the road.  It was amazing.  You can watch it here.

There are some great articles written about Braydon here and here.  Also, remember when I blogged about that singer/songwriter from my area Lyndy Butler.  She wrote this amazing song for his wife for her birthday just two days after her husbands funeral! You can read her experience in writing this song here.  And you can purchase the song and all proceeds go to the Braydon Nielsen ‘BOOYAH’ Memorial Fund.

I can just see Braydon in Heaven cheering for all of us down here Booyah style!

I love where I live! So many are helping put together fundraisers and other such things to help this sweet family out.  If you would like to donate here are some ways you can help out.

The “Braydon Nielsen ‘BOOYAH’ Memorial Fund” has been set up for the family at Wells Fargo Bank.

Also, they have set up a “BOOYAH!” store where you can purchase merchandise and 100% of proceeds go to the Nielsen family.  Check it out, there is some awesome gear! http://stgeorgecycling.com/booyah/

Dixie Direct: Offering Dixie Direct Cards to everyone who makes a $10 donation to the Nielsen family.  Every single penny goes to Braydon’s family.  Purchase online at http://stgeorgecycling.com/booyah/ or at their office- 1060 S. Main Street, Suite #102A.

Yard/Bake Sale: Saturday Sept. 14th from 7 am – 12 pm. It will be at the Coral Canyon LDS Chapel. Donations can be dropped off at the church that morning between 6 am – 7 am.

Braydon’s family will miss him so much.  I hope we can find a way to support them at this time, even if it’s just to become a better person and have a “Booyah” attitude for life!