“Are you alright?”
A question echoing in Norwich University senior Cam Beecy’s mind since losing his friend Kacy Pavlik to suicide when the two were just 13 years old. And a burning need to honor his legacy. An idea swirling in his mind struggling to find form. Positive Tracks helped Cam to find both a voice and a space to talk about a difficult subject in order to save other kids’ lives. “Positive Tracks helped me make my idea a reality. Their tagline should be ‘from idealistic to realistic,’ because that’s what they did.”
Cam wanted to magnify the importance of communicating with someone contemplating suicide as a way to ease their burden and to help them choose life. On August 12, 2018, nine years to the day that his friend took his life and with Positive Tracks and Kacy’s little sister Ava at his side, Cam honored Kacy with “Fight for Life” an outdoor obstacle course race supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Never give up.
With that message stamped on the climbing wall, Cam challenged the 88 youth participants. “Everyone will carry a tire through the entire obstacle course to represent a friend whose life you’re saving by helping them carry their burden. If you can’t carry the tire alone, a friend can help you.”
Crawling under nets. Sprinting around cones. Pulsating up and over the wall. Never letting go of that tire. Never breaking contact. Making sure the friends they carried made it to the finish line.
Positive Tracks helped Cam realize his vision and find his voice. He initially came to Positive Tracks four years ago wanting to raise money for a nonprofit that uses soccer to teach AIDS awareness to African youth. When he was finally ready to delve into suicide prevention to help other kids help friends who may be suicidal, Positive Tracks helped him envision and execute an obstacle course to start a dialogue about suicide prevention within his community.
Cam Beecy is the epitome of sweating for good.
Recognition
Recognizing his talent and leadership skills, we nominated Cam for the Beyond Sport Global Organization’s 2018 Courageous Use of Sport Award. More than 400 entries from 100+ countries were submitted. Cam was a finalist. The ceremony was held in New York City on September 12th. “Don’t get me wrong. Winning would be awesome and out of this world but I’m just honored that Positive Tracks nominated me. This is more about them recognizing me than me winning. I am so honored to be able to help them as they’ve helped me.”
On the Horizon
ROTC Scholarship recipient with a 3.79 GPA. Youth coach and mentor. NCAA Division III hockey champion. Cam Beecy’s next step after receiving his college degree next spring: to serve his country as a US Air Force nurse. “My brother’s a military nurse. My dad is a retired Air Force Major. My mom is a respiratory therapist.”
Service, coupled with compassion, is in Cam’s DNA.