Five years. Forty years.

This year marks five years since Nick passed away, and it would have been his 40th birthday. Grief doesn’t disappear with time, but it does change. It reshapes itself into something you learn to carry differently.

Nick was the kind of person who made everything feel easier and everyone around him feel safe. He was thoughtful, funny, endlessly patient and the sort of person who could talk to anyone. He loved sports, travelling, bushwalks, cooking without recipes, good wine, being outside and making plans for the future. He had a quick mind, a wicked sense of humour and the kind of memory that made him a walking encyclopedia of sports facts.

Some of our happiest memories were outdoors together — hiking trails with our dogs, travelling overseas, or later carrying Riley in a hiking backpack while he slept through walks. Nick loved adventure and he loved his people even more.

Nick passed away when Riley was not quite two years old. He was an incredible dad from the very beginning and absolutely adored him. There’s a huge sadness in knowing Riley has to grow up without his dad, but I also want him to grow up seeing that even after heartbreak, we can still do hard things, carry the people we love with us, and find purpose and connection again.

So instead of letting these dates quietly pass, we’re choosing to mark them in a way that feels meaningful. Together with my friend Megan, we’re taking on The JLF Trek & Trail Run as “Nickers’ Trail Blazers,” because it felt fitting.

We’re walking in his memory and raising funds for a cause that is working to prevent other families from facing the kind of loss so many have experienced.

Thank you for remembering him with us, for supporting us, and for helping turn something painful into something purposeful.”

Thank you to Nick’s wife Tegan for sharing Nick’s story.