About Zack
On April 24, 1987 Ted and Maribeth Wansley gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named
Zachary Earl Wansley. With the glowing parents' excitement, they knew that Zack was
a special child. Little did they know that Zack would affect the world with such
impact.
Zack had a love for many of the simple pleasures in this world that a lot
of people overlook. The encouragement of his parents, brother (Nicholas Wansley), and
many others drove Zack to become a very successful runner. His passion for running lead
him through his academic career to running with the Georgia Tech cross country
team for a semester.
Along with his athletic ability, Zack had a passion for the
outdoors. On any given day he would rather be outside chasing a ball than sitting in
front of a TV. His love for the outdoors kept him and his friends active and in
positive spirits. As many would say, Zack was always positive and his excitement rubbed
off on anyone that was around him. He had a way of bringing the overall mood of any
situation to an active, positive level.
After many great years growing up in
Palmetto, GA, Zack came to Georgia Tech to study Civil Engineering. He continued his
positive influence in Atlanta, and met the girl of his dreams, Karena Shell. While
keeping a deep love for his family and girlfriend, he had a good life ahead of him.
On September 13, 2008 Zack was training for the Thanksgiving Day Marathon, as he
has done for the past seven years. "At the 16-mile mark, Zack said he was going to
slow down, but his friend should go ahead. That's the way Zack was, he didn't want
to inconvenience anyone," Mrs. Wansley said.
At age 21, Zack passed while training for his marathon.
The cause of Zack's death is not yet known, but answers are still trying to be found.
Through Zack's passing, many come together to celebrate his life and use his life as an
example for living. Zack was and still is a blessing to the world.