Brian Edmonds

“Brian was just everything good. There’s no other way to put it. He was the most amazing man, the most caring and genuine and loving guy; the kind of person you don’t encounter twice in this life. Words could never capture him or the way he laughed or how he hiked up his spandex (for speed) or his casual way of making everyone feel included and liked. When Brian laughed you couldn’t help but join in, especially if he high-fived himself for one of his awful puns. His overwhelming happiness and contentment with every little thing in his life was incredible. Whether it was thrifting for new apartment ‘art’, watching a good (or awful) movie, or just having a really big cup of milk, he could always find something to be excited about. He was a guy who would fearlessly belt out ‘A Thousand Miles’ on regatta road trips and talk for hours about the immensity of the cosmos. You just couldn’t help but love him. It’s impossible to pick one picture that truly does him justice. But that smile- that’s Brian. He was the most amazing, thoughtful, selfless guy I could have imagined or deserved. I miss my best friend. To say it’s a loss is a gross understatement, because he was more loved than he’ll ever know, a better man than he ever gave himself credit for, and he is so, so missed.”

-Sofia Tuttle

“The picture of Brian Edmonds, Carlos, and myself really means a lot to me because it was the first time I really bonded with Brian. We all went to Salvation Army to pick out ridiculous clothes for a monster truck event that night. We bought UGA shirts and jean shorts that were just way too small for us. I still remember Brian telling me that his shirt was a child’s medium, hence the absurdly tight fit. Later that night, we cut the jean shorts even shorter, because they simply ‘weren’t short enough for our massive quads’ and ‘didn’t give us enough range of motion.’ Brian was the rare type of person who brought out the best in everyone just by being himself. He pushed your boundaries and enriched your life by living his completely unfiltered. Brian was a brother to me, and I will never forget him or the memories.”

-Brian Lee

“Brian and I had wanted to race a pair for months but had not had the chance. We spent a lot of time in the pair over the course of the season, and we were looking forward to this race because it would be the last one of the season and it would be some tough competition. During the race, Brian stroked perfectly for the full 5000 meters and held a tight inside course down the river to post the best time by over 10 seconds. It was the last race of Brian’s career, and one that I will never forget.”

-Adam Mckenzie

“The night before his accident he was at the apartment and I was having a particularly rough day. It was about midnight and he and Sofia were trying to get me to stop moping and come to McDonalds with him because ‘Abby’, he said ‘McFlurries make you feel better. They just do. It’s magic’. Those muffled sounds coming through the wall were the last words from him that I heard. Just about all my memories of Brian include in some shape or form Sofia. I can’t emphasize enough how much he meant to her. I didn’t know everything and I don’t know the details of their romance. What I do know to be true is that Brian was undoubtedly the most genuine human being I have encountered in my life. He acted with purpose, gentility, and warmth. There will always be a spot in my heart for him-for what he taught me about the kind of man I want to love me, for loving my best friend, and for making me want to be a better human being.”

-Abby Ross