Reserve colonel runs in honor of wife

  • Published
  • By Ms. Meredith Thomas
  • 916th Public Affairs Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Col. Timothy Lamb, 567th RED HORSE Squadron commander, took on a lion's task when he set out, on foot, to cover the 83 mile stretch from Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center in Durham to the Relay for Life event being held May 22-23, at Wayne Community College here in Goldsboro.

The trip, while ambitious, is intended to help draw increased attention and donations to the cause of cancer treatment and research. Additionally, Col. Lamb hopes the run will allow him to commemorate his wife, Beth, who lost a six-year battle with cancer on July 6th of last year.

Beth was diagnosed with breast cancer in January of 2003. She underwent successful radiation and chemotherapy treatments at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center and her doctors thought she was in remission. However, a routine scan later discovered that the cancer had returned and had moved into her bones.

Col. Lamb says that Beth was always brave and upbeat during her treatments. She continued to coach her girls' softball teams and delighted in being "Nanny" to her grandson, Sebastian.

"She was positive about what the outcome would be." Col. Lamb explained. "She prayed. She didn't give up. She continued to live a full life."

The decision to embark on such a journey did not come easy to the Reserve colonel. He says he toyed with the idea for a while before finally committing to it.

"Relay has been such a big part of our lives since she was diagnosed. It meant so much to her that I felt I had to do something. Something more, that, when I start out, I'm really not sure if I can do it. But that's how a cancer patient must feel. 'I don't know if I can do this but I'm gonna try.' So, I finally committed to it and I'm gonna try."
Col. Lamb has already secured nearly two thousand dollars in donations during this Relay for Life season but he hopes his epic journey will encourage even more people to pull out their checkbooks.

"Ultimately," he says, "it's not about me. It's about Beth and it's about the other cancer survivors and people that are battling cancer right now. Hopefully, [the trip] motivates some people to donate so that patients can be cured one day."