Bryan Dedicates Race Win To Cancer Survivor

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WATER VALLEY – The most meaningful story from the 2023 Carnival was the Mechanics Bank+Bank First 3K Run/Walk. Although the race was one of the fastest, most competitive and largest in carnival history, the real story was the winner dedicating his victory to a cancer survivor.

Sam Bryan crossed the finish line in three minutes in nine minutes, 20 seconds – a new carnival record. He also dedicated his run and win to Christy Mills, celebrating her victory over cancer.

Bryan is a junior at Regents School in Oxford where he is a champion runner. Bryan first entered the carnival race four years ago at the encouragement of Mills, who works at Dr. Barry Weeks dental office where he is a longtime patient.

“She told me she would be there to cheer for me,” Bryan recalled. “And she was there.”
Bryan has been competing each year since and made his mark in race history during the 2022 carnival with his first win. He had trained hard all summer in preparation for this year’s race and to defend his 2022 title. But he was even more excited to dedicate his run to Mills, explaining he would wear bright pink tennis shoes in honor of her breast cancer battle.

Bryan quickly pulled away from the pack at the starting line and it was soon evident that the race was between him and two-time carnival race winner (2019 and 2021) Charlie Dawson.
Dawson set the pace and by the time the duo made it to the half-way point, Bryan wasn’t sure he had enough energy left to finish.

“I was thinking, next year,” Bryan admitted after his victory.

“I was pushing myself, I knew that is what I needed to do,” Dawson added about setting the fast pace.

Bryan and Dawson were almost step for step during the entire course. Dawson, who is six feet, one-and-a-half inches tall said Bryan’s stride was noticeably longer. Bryan is six feet, four inches tall.

“I was out there running, tap… tap… tap,” Dawson said after the race was over. “He was running, boom… boom… boom. I was like, I think the dinosaurs are back.”

Always the jokester, Dawson’s insight continued.

“He is mostly legs, I am mostly mouth.”

Mills could see those bright pink shoes from blocks away as Dawson and Bryan approached the finish line and it was it was evident that it would come down to the home stretch – just as Bryan had predicted weeks before the race.

“I was running down this (home) stretch and I was hurting. My stomach was hurting, my legs were hurting. But I thought that any pain I was going through was probably nothing compared to what Mrs. Christy went through and beat,” Bryan said. “That gave me the motivation to finish.”

Dawson was a few steps behind him, finishing in a respectable nine minutes, 22 seconds. The two friends celebrated with a high five.

“He is one of the most well-mannered young men who has ever walked in that front door of the dentist office,” Mills said. “He had an appointment when I was going through my radiation treatment and learned about my cancer. I could not be any more proud. This is the sweetest thing that has ever been done for me.”

Another hour would pass before the slowest walkers crossed the finish line and then it was time to celebrate the top three female and male runners. Jovie Lopprinzi, age 12, was the fastest female on the course. When asked how she was able to run so fast and earn the big win, she had a prompt response.

“With my little legs,” she answered.

Race director Keith River recognized all of the participants during the awards ceremony.

“Three hundred and fourteen people showed up today and participated,” race director River told the crowd. “That is the best turnout we have ever had. I think the record was 275 in 2019 and you beat that today!”

Bank President Cam Tyler cited bank employees for helping make the race a big success.

“I think this is a testament to what they have done every year for so many years,” Tyler shared.
Tyler also credited to the strong turnout to a vibrant community.

“The progress here and people’s interest in this community. A lot more people know to come visit Water Valley. If you do something like this, they will show up. We are very pleased and excited about it,” Tyler added.