Coach Fritz Spence at the Fit for Fritz Walk-A-Thon photo by Gabrielle Chappel
It was the morning before the 2008 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championship. That’s when Penn State track and field multi-events Coach Fritz Spence received the shocking news that he had acute myeloid leukemia, a rare but life-threatening form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.
To get an idea of Coach Spence’s dedication to the team, he requested to wait until after the championship to begin his chemotherapy treatment. His request was denied.
Flash forward six years and nine months later. Coach Spence is holding his second annual Fit for Fritz walk-a-thon to raise funds and awareness for others battling diseases like his.
Spence is a survivor. Several months after his diagnosis and being on the bone marrow transplant registry, he finally found a match—his younger brother Wade.
For Coach Spence, finding a match was not an easy task. He is African American with Caribbean decent, which was quite uncommon on the registry—just one percent to be exact. Luckily, after some testing, they discovered that his brother was a near perfect match.
“I can’t explain it,” Spence said. “It just seems like everything worked out perfectly. He’s me. I’m him. I’m here today because of him. Everything that runs through me is from him. We have a special connection, and now that is something that we will always have.”
Because of Coach Spence’s personal connection to the registry, he thought it would be a great idea to tie it into this year’s Fit for Fritz fundraiser. At the event, student athletes and other participants were able to sign up to become bone marrow donors through the Be the Match Foundation.
Volunteer for Be the Match
Photo by Gabrielle Chappel
“Coach Spence has been very generous in giving voice to his story,” said Aimee Heskew, a community engagement representative for Be the Match, “Because people can understand when they can relate to someone as to what’s going on. People can relate to him who are either track and field athletes or maybe a Penn State student and they realize that one of their own is sick with leukemia and needs their help.”
Many of Coach Spence’s athletes used the opportunity to become a donor at the event. Regardless of Coach Spence’s disease, to them, he is still their coach.
“If I didn’t know Coach Spence, I wouldn’t have thought that he even had this disease, or dealt with anything like it” said Penn State track and field athlete Ahmenah Righardson, “He’s such a positive person he’s humble and he’s very supportive of others.”
A new day brings new challenges for Coach Spence in his continuing battle against cancer. However, through his adversity, he found strength.
“Sometimes things happen and I just look at life like everything happens for a reason,” said Coach Fritz, “Whether it’s good whether it’s bad, you just gotta get through it and it makes you into a better individual.”
For more information about how to donate to Be the Match, or to learn more about Coach Spence’s fight, please visit www.bethematchfoundation.org.