Triathlon in memory of Brock athlete and scholar
Battling advanced metastatic melanoma, she was eager to compete in a full Ironman.
That’s some 226 kilometres of running, swimming and cycling.
Naomi Cermak was one of six athletes accepted in 2013 to compete at the world championships in Hawaii through a program called Kona Inspired, designed to find competitors with compelling life stories.
“She said to me, ‘I think I can do it. I’ll just walk the run. But I think I can swim and bike’,” said her sister, Carly Cermak, 32.
“I think that’s really what kept her going through her treatments, was that she had something to look forward to.
“It’s what she was like. She loved taking on challenges. She wasn’t scared of many things.”
But Naomi became too ill to compete, or even attend the championships. She died in 2013 at age 31. In her memory, to honour both her athletic passions and success in academics, her family has created the Naomi Cermak Tri to Inspire triathlon. The second annual event takes place Sunday, July 16, at Brock University.
It raises funds for a graduate scholarship in her name.
Naomi attended Brock University for her master of science degree in muscle physiology from 2004 to 2006, then went on to complete a PhD at McMaster University in exercise physiology. She was in the Netherlands for post doctoral work when she was diagnosed.
At age 18, she had found a blistering mole on her foot and was told it was melanoma. The mole and area around it was removed, and other than annual skin checks, everyone thought cancer was in her past, said her sister. Naomi was fit and active. The sisters attended McMaster as undergrads and were both on the varsity swim team. Naomi branched off into cycling, then missed swimming so much, that she decided to focus on triathlons, a sport that combines swimming, running and cycling.
She liked the feeling of independence. “You’re in control of your own race,” said Carly.
“Whatever work you put in is what you get out of it. She liked challenges. She wanted something new.”
Naomi did well as a late-bloomer in the triathlon community. Her best placing, was coming in second in her age category at a half Ironman in Spain.
Naomi was always the one to push her limits. Whether that meant jumping on a roller-coaster or, during her illness, ziplining in Collingwood with her sister.
“I was petrified,” said Carly. “I had the breaks on. She was going full tilt.
“She was always a go-getter. She was always determined, wanted to try new things.
“Even going to the Netherlands for her post doctorate …” began Carly, before pausing to control her emotions, “was very brave. She didn’t know many people, but thought it was a great opportunity to further her research career. “She was pretty fearless.” During her illness, Carly once told her sister that she was an inspiration to many people.
“She said, ‘I don’t know why I’m inspiring others because if they were fighting for their life, they would do the same thing.’”
True to her personality, Naomi never gave up. She tried multiple clinical trials and endured without complaint side effects to many of the drugs she had to take.
When she became too ill to attend the Ironman championship, she felt defeated, said Carly.
If there was a treatment left to be tried, she would have done it, she said.
The Naomi Cermak Tri to Inspire is a way to pair athletes and academics, and have her name live on.
The Cermak family will compete in the event relay-style: Carly will swim 400 metres, dad Zdenek will bike 10 km and mom Tineke will walk for 2.5 km.
“It’s having a scholarship that exemplifies the qualities,” began Carly before pausing again, “that she encompassed is a great way to try and keep her spirit alive.”