Faithful to the Finish Line

Marianne Forsyth would be the first to tell you that she wasn’t a runner. But, no one became a better example of finishing the race.

The married mother of two had lived a life of perfect health until early 2023, when something felt wrong. She and her husband Alan, who were sweethearts since the early days of high school, went to the doctor several times before receiving a dire cancer diagnosis.

Her health spiraled, but her spirit never did. The ferocious faith she lived out in her last days resonated with many, starting with her husband and two boys, JT and Andy. In a matter of months, she was gone, passing away on July 2, 2023.

Life in the beginning appeared pretty traditional to new parents. While Alan took up running, Marianne took up everything else. She was “that mom” from the stands, making sure everyone in creation could hear her yell for her boys. She learned about the kinds of foods cross-country runners need to perform. She stood at different spots on the trail and cheered them on. She cared and supported however she could.

It worked. The Forsyth boys were some of the strongest runners at Woodland High in Cartersville, Ga. Andy’s 800 meters school-record time of 1:57 may stand for decades. JT was a four-time county champ and state qualifier whose 2:00 in the 800m almost broke the record his brother would later pass.

Races are meant to be finished. Commitments are made to be kept. That’s why mere days after Marianne’s burial, the Forsyth men had a choice to make.

Active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since middle school, JT and Andy were Huddle Leaders at their high school, with JT also being on county leadership. FCA running camps had been part of their summers for years.

They were scheduled to leave for camp on July 6 with Andy as a camper and JT a Huddle Leader. The discussion on what to do was a quick one.

“She would want us to go,” Andy said.

All three ran the Peachtree 10K Road Race on July 4 in Atlanta, a race the family had participated in for years, then the boys prepared for camp.

“I'm there trying to glorify God. And it was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life,” Andy said. “I was so angry and had so many questions.”

Andy remembers sitting at camp, listening to people talk about how good God is and how He has a plan and everything happens for a reason. He wrestled with how that applied to his mother’s death.

JT was scheduled to lead a group of middle school boys. But when one of Andy’s Huddle leaders became sick, JT joined his brother. As regulars for years at the camp that was led by one of their running coaches and attended by some of their closest friends, everyone knew the boys’ story and what they were going through.

“People were there for me,” JT said. “People were praying for me, and it was like God saying, ‘This is gonna be hard, but I'm gonna be here with you the whole way.’”

God’s strength shows up within weakness. For the Forsyth brothers, the loss of their mom merged with the surroundings of prayer and praise.

“It was hard for me to tell of the Lord's goodness after what I had just been through, but I was able to serve those kids,” JT said. “Being Andy's Huddle Leader was a cool time for us. So, yeah, camp played a very important role in that season of life where I felt so isolated and my world had been wrecked.”

JT is a senior at the University of Georgia, where there’s a good chance you’ve seen him as the paint line co-captain on football Saturdays. He still runs recreationally and is a small group leader at church as well as in campus ministry leadership. Andy runs track for Berry College near Rome, Ga., and remains active in his faith, now serving as a Huddle Leader at FCA camp.

Their mother’s testimony in her final days and the FCA community helped sustain and support them in the darkest time of their lives.

“Having people pray for us and be there was huge,” Andy said. At one point, a song about the goodness of God was performed, and Andy broke down in a swirl of grief, anger, confusion and God’s presence It was a needed reminder of Who was with him.

Here, he was reminded of the love of his mom, and her heart for the Lord.

“Her faith, it never wavered,” JT said. “We were having a really hard time for a long time, and still do. But she would tell everybody about the peace of Christ. You could see it in her eyes; it was so evident. The Lord held her. It was unreal to watch.

“That has brought me a lot of peace, thinking through what the Holy Spirit living inside of you does,” he added. “She knew that she wasn't going to live that long, and yet remained faithful. She modeled that [faithfulness] for us.”

-FCA-

Photos courtesy of Andy and JT Forsyth