Page 16 - Flathead Beacon // 1.22.13

16 | JANUARY 29, 2014
COVER
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

mer mayor remembers well; he can still
wrestler, Norby was out for the season beat me. I’ve been through too much to Osborne recalled riding his bike to

quote the letter by heart.
and would discover his senior year that get here,’” Spurlock said.
Withrow’s home in junior high to catch
“When this happened, since every-
memories of the crash were too painful. Spurlock kept his promise to With- rides to wrestling meets.
body knew everybody in Whiteish, ev- He never wrestled again.
row and, against all odds, won the state “I didn’t have any family involve-
erybody felt that those kids were their “It changed everything for us. It re- championship, earning his school, his ment, so he would check my grades and
own kids,” Putnam, now 85, said, not- ally afected me. I couldn’t get back on teammates and his coaches a crowning help me set goals,” Osborne said. “He
ing that the ski town was on the cusp of the mat again,” Norby said. “Those two achievement. He also earned Withrow’s
was a person that cared. And he was a
a boom that would transform Whiteish. coaches were really
hug.
pretty light-hearted guy. You could al-
“There was a tremendous divisiveness important people to
“That’s the way I
ways catch him in the hallway doing his

about the growth occurring, but the new me and I knew that
felt after I won. Even little soft-shoe dance.”
“IT TOOK ME YEARS
people coming in had as much compas- they would have want-
though he wasn’t Spurlock was forever changed by the
sion as anyone and it brought a peace ed for me to continue
there, I earned his crash, his championship victory ofer- TO GET OVER THIS
and tranquility that I have never seen on. But I just couldn’t
hug.”
ing scant consolation for the friends and
before among the people of Whiteish. force myself to do it.
Upon returning to mentors he lost. At home, he found little THING. I STILL HAVE
It settled everybody down and brought It was my senior year
Whiteish, he gave his sympathy, and at school he lashed out at
people together.”
and everyone said,
medal to Emily With- a reporter who was ilming girls cleaning NIGHTMARES ABOUT

Emily and Ian Withrow remained ‘you have a shot at
row.
out their best friends’ lockers.
IT. IT’S HARD ON ALL
in Whiteish for one year. She remem- winning it all.’ I just
Steve Osborne “My dad said I just had to forget about
bers the outpouring of compassion from couldn’t do it.”
went on to teach high it. I can’t. It’s right there in my face every OF US. HARD ON THE
the school and the wrestling and foot- After the crash, school algebra in Co- day. I’ve always wondered, if that wreck
ball teams, whose members illed the Spurlock couldn’t lumbia Falls. Inspired hadn’t have happened, how would the WHOLE COMMUNITY.”
‘84 school annual with notes to Ian, de- walk without support by Withrow, he want- events of my life have changed or been
scribing his father as a great and inlu- for a week, having in- ed to make an im- diferent?” Spurlock said. “There are Travis Brousseau
ential man, an inspiring coach who pro- jured his shoulder and pression on the lives still a lot of people that haven’t healed.

vided direction and support. Still, when- legs when he smashed of young people. Of It was so much to have all that death in
ever she walked through town, she was through his seatback.
the 23 years he’s been
your face as a young kid.”
greeted with hugs and tears, a painful Despite the injuries, he was deter- teaching, he has coached high school That December, he left Whiteish
reminder of her loss.
mined to compete at the state meet.
wrestling for ive of them and middle and joined the Air Force, never to return
“I thought if I was ever going to move “I was pretty banged up but I had a school wrestling for 17; he recently took to his hometown. He now lives in Utah
on, I would have to leave town,” she said, lot of motivation, I guess,” he said.
a break to allow his son to compete with- and owns his own insurance company.
and settled on Missoula. Before she left And so Spurlock, along with an in- out being labeled “the coach’s son.”
“That crash changed my percep-

for good, the wrestlers and football play-
terim coach and several other uninjured “A big part of my life’s goal has always tion on life. I realized I couldn’t take it
eM
teammates, lew to Billings and caught a been to be a person that Coach Withrow for granted,” he said. “It’s crazy to have rs helped her load up the moving van.
ride, on a bus, with the Laurel wrestling would smile down on and say, ‘wow, he’s been a part of it. I still pack a lot of my
ost members of the wrestling team to Miles City.
on the right track,’” Osborne said. “My memories of that night around. I some-
squad were either too injured
“I was a mental wreck. I almost got motivation was to do something with times have to do my own moment of si-
or too emotionally wrecked beat. It was so emotional, but then I my life that would make him smile, and lence. I feel like Mr. Withrow has been
to travel to the state championships in turned it around. I just looked at that kid alotofthatisduetowhatweallwent with me throughout my entire life.”
Miles City three weeks later. A talented
and said, ‘there’s no way you are going to
through. He just made us better people.”
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