Let’s clear something up... 1 year ago today, my oldest friend, Matt Hill died. It was incredibly painful for many of us and something that compounded the pain was that at the time the medical examiners in Los Angeles were taking 5-6 months to complete autopsies. This meant that for several months after Matt's tragic death, none of his loved ones knew the true cause of his death. For 5 months we were left with unanswered questions about why he died at the age of 41. A particularly hard part was the fact that online "news" outlets were profiting off of the traffic they received from the public's curiosity surrounding Matt's death. These sites, along with some individuals on Facebook, circulated speculation and rumors about his cause of death. Unverified stories that I heard ranged from car accidents, and boating incidents, - to a prevalent myth of a drug overdose.It was difficult to watch all these rumors and not be able to respond because the honest truth was none of us knew the real reason why he died at the time. We were forced to listen to people repeat damaging rumors and innuendo as if they were truth. They were in fact _not_ the truth. Let me clear it up right now: Matt Hill died from an 80% blockage in his left anterior descending coronary artery. This is also known as a Widow Maker Heart Attack. This is the "Cause A" on his official autopsy that we waited over 5 months to receive. There was no cause B, C, or D. In addition to that, he had no illegal drugs in his system. This is from his official toxicology report. On the anniversary of his death, I simply ask that we lay to rest the incorrect rumors about his death. The passing of Matt, only five months after the devastating loss of Joe St. Clair, and then a mere ten days later, the tragic death of Tyler, plunged me into my first encounter with depression. It was very tough. But I'm fortunate because the experience also led me to reclaiming my health and becoming a better father and husband. I'm now sharing my experience on my Substack for two reasons. 1. Because writing about things that hurt us helps us heal and recover from them. 2. I hope that my story can help others that wish to improve their lives or recover from depression. I miss Matt everyday. But the sadness has been replaced by an appreciation for the time that we had together and the amazing truly incredible things that he accomplished. He was a larger than life personality. Matt's death was the force that helped push me to start the year of the opposite. When I swam across the lake for the first time I remember climbing onto Matt Gillett's back porch waiting for him to be able to drive me back to my house. As I sat there I felt the grief from Matt's death wash over me and I knew that I was going to begin to cry. I didn't want Gillet's children to see me cry but I was feeling a bit trapped because I didn't have shoes since I had just completed a swim. I thought back to growing up with Matt in the Huntley Square neighborhood. In the summer, Matt Hill rarely wore shoes. His feet were like stones. Even when we would play hockey on the concrete, Matt would be shoeless. His feet getting frequently hit by hockey sticks didn't seem to bother him. So I decided that I would run the 2 miles home to my house barefoot while softly crying for the loss of my brother. It was painful but cathartic. It was one of the most profound experiences with grief that I have ever felt. That experience is what started my love for running. He didn't know it, but Matt was giving me another gift even after his passing. The gift of a love for running. Thank you again Matt. Year Of The Opposite - Travis Stoliker's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Year Of The Opposite - Travis Stoliker's Substack at www.yearoftheopposite.com/subscribe