Brian Kozera, an Ironman triathlete and veteran police officer, recently passed away at the age of 44. A 16-year veteran of the Norristown Police Department was killed in a horrific bicycle accident over the weekend. On August 14, he was driving in Caernarvon Township, Pennsylvania, when he collided with a vehicle. According to TMZ, Brian ran a stop sign and crashed into the passenger side of the truck. He was allegedly pushed off his bike and became entangled in the back tire of a car. He died of his injuries after being transferred to a neighboring hospital.
Brian Koreza overcame cancer.
Brian Kozera was a seasoned police officer, athlete, husband, father and cancer survivor who was preparing for the Ironman World Championships in Lancaster County. The championship is organized by the World Triathlon Corporation, which organizes long-distance triathlon competitions around the world. In 2015, Kozera triumphed against Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. He runs an Ironman fundraising blog to raise funds for advanced cancer research. Kozera described his battle with cancer in a blog post. He stated the following:
“My adventure with cancer started in April 2014, when I was preparing for a local triathlon… My life was about to change forever when I went to the local hospital because of a hernia. My surgeon discovered a suspicious lymph node, which was later confirmed to be Hodgkin lymphoma with a reduced number of lymphocytes, a rare malignancy. It would be an understatement to say that we were taken aback.”
His battle with cancer inspired him to become an Ironman competitor when he won it in 2015. He emphasized how hard he worked after his recovery to become an athlete. Kozera said:
“In April 2016, I flew to New Orleans and completed a tough half-Ironman in windy conditions. I came to Austria on June 26, 2016, just 418 days after my transplant, to participate in the 140.6 mile Ironman. I flourished, not just existed.”
And Brian Kozera was proud of his profession as a police officer. In the same blog post, he boasted about how he was able to return to work as a full-time police officer after overcoming cancer. The Norristown Police Department, where Brian worked, expressed their sadness at his untimely death on Twitter. They noticed:
“Today we learned that one of ours, a 16-year veteran, Capt. Brian Kozera, died as a result of injuries sustained in a collision outside the workplace. I keep his family and friends in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
More information about Brian Kozera’s family
A family man, Brian Kozera loved spending time with his wife, Kristin, and their children. He also said in his blog that after overcoming cancer, he was able to expose his three children, Paige, Josie and Avery, to the joys of outdoor activities. He praised his daughter Avery, who was diagnosed with CDKL5 deficiency, saying her “drive” helped him achieve his goals. Brian wrote:
“Seeing Avery’s drive inspired me to pursue my goals. I earned the title of World Silver Athlete after completing five full-distance Ironman events, including three in one year in Lake Placid, New York, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Cozumel, Mexico.”
Today we received the tragic news that one of ours, a 16-year veteran, Capt. Brian Kozera, died of injuries sustained during an off-duty accident. Please pray for his family and friends at this difficult time 🖤💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/R5eL2cb0Wa
— Norristown Police (@Norristownpd) August 14, 2022
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: HIS Education