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By Mandy Haggerson

For the Clemmons Courier

Marie McDaniel learned from an early age that being with your family, staying active and focusing on what matters most in life can help you through the toughest of times. It can also help you not overthink the small stuff.

From her earliest memories, she treasured the time she spent in the mountains of North Carolina with her family. With two older brothers, she spent many of her days on the trails and staying in a cabin.

“My mom was the best at having picnics in the park and creating that quality time together,” McDaniel said.

Another way that McDaniel was encouraged to stay active was through sports.

“My parents had us try everything,” McDaniel said. “When I got to high school, I learned that running was something that I gravitated towards. My coach was very encouraging which made a huge impact. Of course, my parents came to my meets and supported me, too.”

Because of her work ethic and motivation, McDaniel’s coach knew she could run both track and cross country at the next level. McDaniel began reviewing her options and chose to attend Furman University.

“I knew when I stepped on the campus that was where I was meant to be,” McDaniel said. “I had an instant group of friends, which made the transition to college so much easier. It also helped me focus on my academics and manage my time efficiently.”

McDaniel was a member of the cross country and track team for all four years of college.

“I learned during that time I wanted to major in health and exercise science. I had contemplated music because I had played the piano growing up, but being a collegiate athlete really confirmed my passion,” says McDaniel. After McDaniel graduated from Furman, she furthered her education in the field by attending graduate school at Wake Forest University.

“During that time, there was a program run out of Wake focused on cardiac rehabilitation,” McDaniel said. “It interested me so much that I started working in that field, too.”

After several years in the rehabilitation field, McDaniel was presented with an opportunity to explore pharmaceutical sales. With her home base being in Hickory, she traveled a lot for work.

“I was never a behind-the-desk kind of person, so I enjoyed getting out there and meeting people,” McDaniel said.

Her sense of adventure also happened to be serendipitous with meeting her future husband, Cameron.

“We ironically met at the Phoenix Airport, of all places,” McDaniel said. “My parents ride motorcycles and were shipping their bikes out to the Pacific Northwest. I was meeting them in Reno, Nevada. Cameron was meeting a friend out for a motorcycle trip as well. When our flight got delayed, we just started talking. Then we grabbed dinner while we waited. Ironically, he was living in Lewisville at the time, and we met many states away. We also realized we had a lot in common because he was in the same line of work. We didn’t sit next to each other on the plane ride, but when we landed, he had rented a car and had offered to take me to where I needed to go. It just goes to show you how much I trusted him, because I wasn’t reluctant to accept his offer to take me to meet my parents. When we got home from our trips, we went and grabbed coffee, and then the next day, we had our first date. We were married two years later in April 2009.”

McDaniel became a stepmother to his then 6-year-old son, Tyler. They also knew that they wanted to expand their family and had Eli in February 2009 and Abby 15 months later.

“At that point I stayed home since I knew that being a road warrior would be tough with raising children,” McDaniel said.

Like a lot of parents with young kids, they kept Cameron and Marie very busy and on their toes. Life threw the McDaniels a curve ball when Cameron was diagnosed with brain cancer.

“It felt like it came out of nowhere,” McDaniel said. ‘We were both in the middle of training for a half marathon. We had done several triathlons together. We had realized something was wrong because he had lost his vision in November 2015. It was hard seeing him lose his abilities to care for himself. I was grateful that I was not working outside the home at that point so I could go with him to all of his appointments and care for him. It was a tough 17 months before he passed. It has been seven years now since I have been widowed. Sometimes it seems like a lifetime, and sometimes it’s a blur. I try really hard to honor his memory and tell the kids about their dad as much as possible, and how much he loved them.”

McDaniel credits having a supporting community and family for helping her put one foot in front of the other.

“Our life group at Center Grove Church was really there for us,” McDaniel said. “We felt so much love and outpouring from them and our close family and friends. Cameron had led that group before he had gotten sick, and everyone in it really stepped up when he did.’

Abby and Eli continued to flourish in their activities, too.

“They keep me busy with their stuff,” McDaniel said. “I’m so proud of them with how hard they work. We try and take as many trips together as possible and continue to create memories together. Even if it’s just riding with my top down in the jeep to one of their practices, it helps me feel really in my element. I’ve also been fortunate enough to meet someone, Dustin who understands and shares my dedication to my family. The Lord has really blessed me to have that support and companionship. Life is short, and I am grateful for all that God has given me.”