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A Weekend That Meant The Worlds

Randy Petru

Two years ago we brought you the incredible story of young Randy Petru. A Weekend that Meant the Worlds told of Randy's run-in with cancer at the early age of five and the subsequent support of the wakeboarding community, especially Shaun Murray, in helping him cope with the frightening experience through which he was going.

Since we brought you this story, the wakeboarding community has taken this brave little boy into their hearts. Randy's mile-wide smile and oversized Fox Racing shorts have become a fixture at the Wakeboard World Championships. Most have probably seen pictures of him on the podium with Shaun Murray at the 2000 Worlds and shots of him sharing a pull with Shaun at the 2001 Worlds.

Randy getting up for the first time after a year of treatment

It was the day before those 2000 Worlds, on an overcast, yet glassy, Lake Elsinore, that the WakeWorld Wakesetter proudly pulled Randy up on a wakeboard for the first time since he was diagnosed with cancer a full 16 months earlier. He had completed his year-long chemotherapy treatments and was just regaining his muscle strength. He wasn't able to ride for long, but the joy emanating from his face clearly stated that no one had ever gotten more out of a wakeboarding session.

However, the path between Randy's diagnosis and the aforementioned milestone was a rocky one. As expected, Randy and his family experienced quite a roller coaster ride since that fateful day when his cancer was first discovered. Our story ended as Randy began treatments to follow up the surgery to remove his brain tumor. These treatments, which involved seven different doctors, included chemotherapy, radiation, blood transfusions, MRI scans, hospital stays, medications and countless tests.

The Petru family donning their 'got wake?' apparel

Randy's three sisters, Dayna, Jennifer and Elizabeth, despite their young ages, found themselves taking on extra responsibilities during this time. It was difficult for them not to have their parents around as much as they had been accustomed to. The extra attention and special treatment that Randy was receiving made it doubly difficult for them to understand. It wasn't until the girls saw two kids they knew die from cancer that they really grasped the seriousness of the situation with which the entire family was dealing.

Despite all the attention, it was toughest on Randy. Over the course of the treatments, Randy developed side effects such as vomiting, weight loss, hair loss, shingles and RSV, a serious respiratory infection. Randy said the shingles were the toughest to get through because he was put on morphine for the pain.

Randy at the Vans skatepark in Ontario, California

Randy usually had to take medicine three or four times a day and got used to swallowing a lot of pills, mostly because the liquid medicine wouldn't stay down. Randy spent a lot of time throwing up and he really hated it. It got to the point where he would eat, run to the bathroom and come back crying saying, "All that good food is gone!" But, being the trooper that he is, Randy would hop right back up on the table and start shoveling in another course like nothing had happened.

It's tough to relate to what it would be like for anyone to go through such an ordeal, much less a five-year-old. Despite the many difficulties, Randy would always do his best to keep his chin up during his treatments. Wakeboarding proved to be an escape that would always manage to bring some light into even the darkest of days.

The lengthier hospital stays and chemo sessions would often drive Randy to boredom. His distraction from the monotony would, more often than not, have him viewing wakeboarding videos and doing crafts. One day, Six Pack made its way into the VCR at least seven times, most likely qualifying Randy to at least co-direct the next Sidewayz production. During treatments, Randy would often ask for "Boarders Club." That would mean a special night of tacos for dinner followed by wakeboarding movies.

To keep his hands busy and his mind off his treatments, Randy crafted necklaces for some of the pro wakeboarders he's met. Some of those creations even made their way into some wakeboarding advertisements hanging from the necks of their recipients. Seeing this lifted Randy's spirits tremendously.

On the podium with Shaun Murray at the 2000 Worlds

Shaun Murray, continuing his commitment to "become a real person in Randy's life," would often talk to Randy on the phone. Shaun was great at talking and joking with Randy. Sometimes, if Randy was fighting a particular treatment, his parents would ask him if Shaun would be happy with his behavior. This would usually straighten Randy up and provide him the motivation to allow the necessary treatments.

Today Randy is cancer free. His latest tests show no signs of a tumor. He will continue to have an MRI performed every three months and visits with his doctors to monitor his status. Although the cancer is gone, Randy has suffered some problems due to the relentless barrage of drugs and radiation to which he's been exposed to defeat the cancer. These problems include some hearing loss, kidney damage and a slight decrease in balance and motor skills. Randy has also dropped from 50% to 25% in the growth charts, which has really hit him hard. However, his parents are quick to point out that some of the best wakeboarders in the world are "vertically challenged." Again, the trademark smile returns to Randy's face.

Randy leading the survivor lap at the Relay for Life

Randy has been heavily involved in the Relay for Life fundraiser for cancer research. Now for 2002, Randy is the official Relay For Life ambassador for the Central Utah region. He's proud to be helping others to get through the same thing he's been fighting for years.

Despite the hurdles with which he must deal every day, Randy is just happy to once again be able to skateboard, roller blade, ride his bike and, of course, wakeboard. He and the rest of the Petru family anxiously await the warmer weather in their home state of Utah and are looking forward to a full season of wakeboarding. To wrap up the season, Randy and his family plan on attending the World Championships again to continue the family tradition kicked off three years earlier by Shaun Murray.

Randy would like to thank the following individuals and companies for helping him in his fight: Fox Racing (for the shorts and shirts), Sidewayz Productions (for the video collection), The Make-A-Wish Foundation (for the trip to Florida), Gerry Nunn and Darin Shapiro (for the great instruction), Collin Wright (for the top sheet from his first pro model and the day at Echo Lake), Billy McKee, Scott Byerly, Rob Struharik, Parks Bonifay, Shane Bonifay (for letting Randy throw Liquid Force goodies to the crowd at Worlds), X Games, Vans (for the shoes and shirts), WakeWorld (for the pulls at Worlds 2000 and 2001), The Murray family (for doing jail time in support of the fight against cancer) and his Heavenly Father and Jesus (for helping him beat cancer).

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