Funds raised for family of cyclocross racer who found ‘the love of his life’ at Ski to Sea
A cross-border romance that started more than a decade ago at a Ski to Sea race ended tragically this week as Becky Lawrance waited for her husband Rob to arrive on his cyclocross bike and toss the timing chip to a teammate waiting with her kayak for the final leg of this year’s 93-mile multi-sport relay.
But Rob never arrived, and Becky learned from police that he had suffered an apparent heart attack and died near Squalicum Creek Park, about a mile short of Zuanich Point on Sunday, May 29.
“We don’t believe Rob suffered prior to his collapse because he was doing so well. He was probably smiling, looking forward to seeing Becky and handing off to me,” said teammate Dawn Groves, who started a GoFundMe page to pay for Rob’s funeral and other expenses.
By Thursday evening, June 2, the page had raised more than $7,800 of a $10,000 goal.
Ski to Sea officials confirmed Lawrance’s death Tuesday, May 31, on the event’s Facebook page.
“Our staff and board of directors wish to express our deepest condolences to the racer’s family, friends and teammates,” the Facebook message said.
Rob and Becky met more than 10 years ago as Ski to Sea canoeists, Groves wrote on the GoFundMe page.
Becky is a third-grade teacher Blaine, and Rob was an environmental planner for the city of Nanaimo, B.C., she wrote.
“They spent the majority of their marriage commuting between locations, all the while churning through mountains of red tape to allow Rob permanent residence in the USA,” Groves wrote.
In 2021, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, Rob got a green card and moved in with Becky. Three weeks ago, he was hired by the city of Bellingham, working in the aquatic invasive species program.
“He loved Blaine and took regular walks into town, visiting with locals and becoming a treasured part of the community,” Groves wrote. “He was also the beating heart of our Pacific Northwest family, infusing his joyous energy into everything we did. His recent physical came back great. He was fit, active, and at age 58, filled with plans for the future.”
It happened quickly and without warning.
“As far as we can determine, he was making good time on the trail when he suddenly crashed. Spectators ran to assist, two of them nurses, and began immediate CPR. The (firefighters) took over when they arrived, continuing heroic measures until it became clear that he was gone,” Groves wrote.
“To describe this loss as sudden and tragic can’t begin to encompass the depth of the experience,” she wrote.
This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
