"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I first read this quote more than 15 years ago and it immediately came back to me when I was reading Jill's updates on her website (jillmason.com). She is the personification of the quote. What lies behind Jill is a horrific accident three years ago which left Jill paralyzed, and took the life of her cycling partner and boyfriend, Alan Liu. Jill and Alan were on a training ride on Easter morning in Sonoma County when a drunk driver, with a blood alchohol level of 0.29, fatally struck Alan and critically injured Jill. Jill's accident touches me not only because she is a dear friend to my brother, but the accident occured while she and Alan were training for the Wildflower triathlon. When I think about Jill's accident, I can't help it but to think it could have happenened to me, my brother, or any one of my friends who, like Jill, are triathletes and cyclists. And now, what lies ahead of Jill is a life of rehabilitation; go visit Jill's website to get an idea of the amount of physcial therapy, speech therapy, and other rehabilitation she must endure. If you read just one entry of a typical day for Jill, you will see that "what lies behind (her) and what lies in front of (her), pales in comparison to what lies within (her)". Jill personifies determination, optimism, and fierce independence. When I look at the pictures above, I can only see what a bold person Jill is and how she inspires me to be equally bold in my own life. Jill's story is one of inspiration and because of that, I feel a strong conviction to share her story with others. Jill, too, devotes her time to sharing her story with others to raise awareness about the evils of drinking and driving. She speaks to schools, recovery groups, and various organizations and if you are interested in having her speak, please contact her at Jillmason[dot]com. If you end up contributing to Jill's trust, please let me know so that I can add your name to the "Thank You" page. Through your support, we were able to raise $1000 for Jill's Trust.