On June 30th, 2024, my childhood friend Jason Holden passed away suddenly at just 32 years old. A week before he passed, Jason collapsed while out shopping with his young son, Logan. After a visit to the doctor he was declared fit to go home. A week later he passed away, and later we found out that it was due to an aortic dissection that was misdiagnosed.

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition where a tear develops in the inner wall of the aorta. Its symptoms often resemble other conditions, which means it can be misdiagnosed. Early recognition and treatment is critical, and greater awareness helps save lives and prevent other families from experiencing the same loss.

That is why I am raising money for the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust, an organization focused on improving diagnosis, increasing survival rates, and reducing disability for those affected by the condition. In support of this cause, I will be racing Ironman 70.3 Knokke-Heist in Jason’s honor.

Thank you Jess, Logan, Kayla, Megan and Chris for letting me race in his name, it’s my absolute honor.

Jason was one of the kindest, softest souls I’ve ever known.

When I moved to South Africa as the “weird international kid,” Jason was one of the few people who accepted me completely for who I was. He made me feel like I belonged.

Some of my best memories growing up are with Jason. I still laugh thinking about hookah nights at his house in Fourways Gardens, causing chaos playing ding dong ditch, and the time we somehow managed to drive his dad’s car about three meters before denting it in the garage, sorry again, Chris. We spent countless hours playing pool too, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never beat you. They were simple moments, but they became the kind you carry with you forever.

Not long after, I moved to Dubai and missed him and our friends deeply. We called ourselves the “Buffalo Soldiers.” That brotherhood never faded, and I know Nick and I will never let it fade either, Jason.

No matter how many years or countries separated us, every time we reunited it felt like no time had passed at all.

In 2023, I got to meet your son Logan for the first time. That meant a lot to me, and I promise you now I will always have Logan and Jess’s back.

That was Jason. Effortless friendship. Genuine kindness. The kind of person who made life feel lighter.

Then, in 2024, I got a phone call from Nick. I was on my bike, and Nick told me to get off and sit down for a moment.

Jason had passed away in the middle of the night.

How do you process losing someone you may not have seen often, but who always made it feel like you were kids again the second you reunited?

You don’t.

You just carry them with you.

So this race is for Jason.

It’s for awareness.

It’s for better recognition of aortic dissection symptoms.

It’s for your family who should have had more time.

And it’s for a genuinely great man.

If you’re able to donate, no matter how small, it would mean the world to me, and more importantly, it would help support research and awareness for a condition that is often missed until it’s too late.

Thank you for reading and thank you for helping me honor Jason’s memory.