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Sorry to hear about your loss and the sport of fishings loss, was just looking over the pics he posted back a couple weeks ago, seem like the young man got to live a good life until the end and made some friends along the way in such a short life. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his loved ones.
Fish on Friend don't catch them all!!!!!
I wrote a few weeks back about a young man who used to write for Fishin.com. At the age of 14 he approached me about writing a weekly report about Bow Fishing in Southern Indiana. At first I was skeptical that a young man of his age could stick with it, but I took his offer and he did an excellent job. Christian Goodpaster who wrote that report an article and some fishing reports died yesterday at the age of 21 Due to complications with Lung Surgery. Christian had suffered from cystic fibrosis, before his first transplant. He was waiting on a second transplant when he died.
As some of you may remember Fishin.com and another group whose leaders name I should know but can not remember, (To my embarrassment at this moment) held a tournament on Barren River to raise money for Christian. Only about 10 boats showed, so I believe all the money ended up going to Christian as I recall, the first place boat donated the money back.
I had lost track of Christian after his first successful double lung transplant, till he wrote an article a couple years back.
Then when I recently went to work at Bass Pro Shops, I found out that Christian was an employee, but had gone on medical leave. Ironically I may actually owe my part time job to his medical problems which does NOT make this easier.
Christian was the epitome of a young outdoors man. He loved to hunt and to fish. He wanted to try everything. He had an inquisitive mind, and for a while with his new lungs the strength to follow his outdoor dreams.
He was an excellent employee I am told. There were more than a few wet eyes in the Hunting department today.
I wish I could write a story like the one I wrote for Billy Westmoreland, but Christian had not lived the length of life that lends itself to such a story. Still he deserves the same kind of story and I wish I was the writer who could give it to him. I just never got to know him as well. He has a page on Facebook, and here are some stories about Christian.
[url]http://www.secondwindstl.org/Noteworthy/Newsletters/ArchivedNewsletters/2004_10.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.huntofalifetime.org/chapter_in.shtml[/url]
[url]http://www.spanishflytv.com/whatup/[/url] Article by Christian
I hope that you will take a minute to say a prayer and to thank the Good Lord that Christian got to live some of his dreams before he died. He was on a fishing episode of Spanish Fly TV in Florida and got a dream hunt from the Dream Factory.
I never got to meet Christian face to face, and I will regret that forever.
He was truly an All American Kid with a healthy love of fishing and hunting and when he did it he did it well and from what I hear with great skill.
The world is not better to have lost him, it is a better place for him having been here.
He touched my life, and that of many others on this board.
Good bye Christian.
You will be missed by fishermen and hunters alike.
Jim Dicken
R.I.P Christian let god be with you man
my prayers are with his family and everyone he has touched... i didnt know of him or of his legacy.. but Jim couldn't have used his words any better in describing this young ambassador of the outdoors that left this earth too soon... prayers coming from Richmond..
May the good lord bless him and give the family and friends he left behind peace and comfort. Prayers and best wishes.
I am come to reaize in the past two weeks, with my own loss, that we all must realize that when death comes it is not the end, and we need to remember that more often than we do. My children brought this to light for me. Christian, the name says a LOT, is only gone for this earth in body but his contributions and memory will only be forgotten if we let it be. While I have the deepest symphaties for his family and friends, I have tried to read the things he wrote and get a "Good" feeling of what he has left us behind. I will pray for his family and friends, but I will try and celebrate his life in my heart as best I can from a distance. The young man was beyond his years wise, and did a wonderful job on those articles for such a young fellow.
Prayers sent from the Appleby's!!
Rob
So sorry to hear of this. I didn't know of him. Seems like a great young man to go through what he went through his entire life and still to have an a positive attitude. I'm sure he will be missed by many. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
Prayers sent from the Anthony's. Never got to meet him but from what I understand, we had a lot in comon with the love of the river. God bless.
The loss of a young person is always exceptionally hard. I hope the family and friends find comfort in all the words spoken on this site. We offer prayers of understanding and peace. The Cundiff family
I had the pleasure of knowing Christian. He and good friend Joe Behr travelled from Indiana to help with our Wilgreen Jrs. tournament after his lung transplant.
He and Joe pulled their boats down and took young jrs. out for a day's fishing. Christian was a great young man with a huge heart and unselfish understanding of what our sport is about.
His legacy will keep him in our hearts and memories.
Our Jr. Open will be dedicated to the memory of Christian Goodpaster.Rest in peace young man.
Rex Allen
Whenever someone asks me how my day is going, I will ALWAYS reply with something like great or awesome. When asked why, I smile and look them in the eye and reply, "Because I woke up and sucked in a breathe! I know too many great people that cannot say that anymore." Some of the looks on those peoples faces are priceless and they usually walk away with a smile on their face.
Give thanks for what we have, even in the tough times.
I did not know Christian and had not heard his story until today, but from what has been said of the young man, I believe he would agree.