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Athletics |
Sean Patrick French, a 17-year-old high school junior, community volunteer, honor roll student and record-setting athlete at Chatham High School, lost his life on January 1, 2002, as a passenger in a drunk driving car crash. Another passenger, 17-year-old Ian Moor, suffered paralyzing injuries. The driver, also 17 had been arrested for drunken driving 18 days prior to the fatal crash. The tragedy prompted the enactment of Sean's Law, which now requires the immediate suspension of a licence upon the arrest of a 16- or 17-year-old on drunken driving charges. Son of
Brother of Paternal Grandson of Maternal Grandson of Paternal Uncles/Aunts/Cousins Maternal Uncles/Aunts/ Cousins School Athletics
His running competitors have noted that Sean was never boastful, he cared about the performances of all he competed against, and was always the first to congratulate someone who beat him and to encourage those he finished in front of. While in high school, he purposefully slowed before the end of some high school meets to let his teammates pass him so they too could experience the sweetness of breaking a finish line. Chatham high school alumni and outstanding distance runner Peter Sarro, whom Sean idolized, referred to Sean as “the finest distance runner to wear a Chatham uniform”. Mickey Kelly, CHS alumni and 2004 Olympic hopeful said Sean’s performances and awards as an underclassman are unlikely to be matched “for years to come”. His track coach, John Rollison, said Sean was “a class act, dedicated to his sport, a gentleman, superb teammate and role model”. Albany Academy’s track Coach James Poole said Sean “made an impact on Section II track and cross country that will not be soon be forgotten”. In the year following his death, there were eight (8) running events, including high school track and cross country meets and open road races, which memorialized Sean. Cross Country As a 10 year old
As a 7th grader –
In 8th grade - Fall 1998
As Freshman - Fall 1999
As Sophomore – Fall 2000
As Junior – his final season – Fall 2001
Favorite XC Courses: Saratoga State Park, Tawasentha Park (Guilderland), Savoy Mountain 5 Mile Trail Run, Indian Ladder Trail Run (Thatcher Park), Van Cortlandt Park (Manhattan), Westchester County Community College, The Mudder at Herkimer Community College Weekly Mileage: during summer prior to his Junior year, Sean averaged 50 miles per week, several weeks before the 2001 season started he was logging 75 miles weekly to build a solid base - while at the same time working full time as a salesperson at Brown’s Shoe Store, Chatham.
Track & Field In 4th grade:
As a 7th grader – Spring 1998
As Freshman - Spring 2000
As Sophomore – his final season, Spring 2001
Road Racing At age 7, Thanksgiving Day 1991, Sean Patrick French joined his brother Eric, age 9, in competing in their first-ever road race – the Hudson Turkey Trot youth mile, he placed 8th overall. Sean was hooked – he loved the running, the cheers from spectators and the trophy awarded by the City of Hudson Youth Department. The following spring, after Sean began “training”, running with brother Eric 2-3 times weekly around the outer driveway encircling St. James cemetery, a short run from his first home in Ghent, NY. His dad referred to Eric and Sean as the St. James Track Club – not one of the “residents” of the St. James cemetery ever complained! Sean was buried at St. James cemetery on January 4, 2002. His grave is located adjacent to the very outer driveway where he first began his running workouts and fittingly near the grave of Olympian and Chatham resident, Ray Barbutti. At age 12 Sean was the NYS Road Race Champion at three distances in the 12-and-Under division of events sanctioned by the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA):
In 10 years Sean ran in approximately 150 extra-curricular trail, XC and Road Races, from 5K (3.1 miles) to 25K (15.5 miles) at venues throughout the northeast. Whenever he traveled with his family, he looked to enter an organized road race - Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Florida, Arizona, Virginia, North and South Carolina, the Bahamas. He even challenged his brother to a mile race around the decks of a cruise ship while on a family cruise in the Caribbean and continued his training runs while visiting Brazil on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in Rio de Janeiro. Sean’s father Mark was motivated by his 7 and 9-year old sons to start running after taking a nearly 20-year break after college graduation. Mark held high school track records in the late 1960’s and coincidentally was also in a car wreck as a junior, age 17, broke his back and was told by doctors to never expect to run again. Mark beat his son Sean to the finish line in a road race only once, during the 1995 Albany Medical Center Neighborhood 5K. Sean, 11, departed the course while running through Central Park to find a bathroom and his dad took advantage of the situation and kept running the course. Sean’s job at every other race he participated in with his mom and/or dad was to save refreshments for his family who sometimes arrived at the finish line after the drinks or refreshments had already been devoured by the faster runners! Sean’s Favorite Road Courses: Hudson Turkey Trot (short and fast!), HMRRC Winter Series held at SUNY Albany, Child’s Challenge 5K on Hackett Blvd., Albany, Mule Haul 8K along Erie Canal, St. Patrick’s Day races in Averill Park, Green Island and in Glens Falls, Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, MA His running competitors have noted that Sean was never boastful, he cared about the performances of all he competed against, and was always the first to congratulate someone who beat him and to encourage those he finished in front of. He purposefully slowed before the end of some high school meets to let his teammates pass him so they could experience the sweetness of breaking a finish line.
Sean continued to receive phone calls and letters of recruitment, post mortem, from numerous Division I and Division II colleges through November 2002. On two occasions Sean had private runs with America’s most famous distance runner, Bill “Boston Billy” Rodgers. Had met and talked with America’s most revered running coach and training expert, Jack Daniels, Ph.D. Had met and talked running with Carol Lasseter Rice, Publisher of Running Times magazine. He was a founding member and 5-time member of the committee that produced the highly acclaimed Old Chahtam 5K, an event that raised over $100,000 for youth programs in the five years he was a volunteer. Community Volunteer Activities Marion Stegman Fund Volunteer - helped Kinderhook Elks deliver food and toys donations to needy families at Christmas Organizing Committee Member Old Chatham 5K, a fund raiser for the Crellin Morris Association that helped raise over $100,000 in five years for youth programs, including the same programs that Sean had participated in a child
Memberships
Employment
Favorite Books
Sean's family has established the Sean Patrick French
Memorial Scholarship Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
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