William Peter James Payne Jan. 2, 2006 - Feb. 23, 2025

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Eulogy - Challenge 19

Will's Challenge 19

My brother Will inspired me all of my life. He was proud of me, and his family and friends. I would like to ask that you all accept the following 19 Challenges to honour Will.

  1. Travel: Will loved to travel. He spent every summer in Canada. He visited New York, Athens, Crete, Mykonos, Heraklion, Spain, France, Portugal, Dublin, Paris, Malta, Michigan, Boston, he learnt to ski in New Hampshire. He swam in four of the five Great Lakes. He's been to Niagara Falls, as well as loving caravan trips to Cornwall, Devon and Wales. Take every opportunity to travel, and when you do, please think of Will of his adventurous spirit.
  2. Do the right thing. Always. Sometimes this might not be easy, but you will never regret doing the right thing.
  3. Seize opportunities: do something different or unusual. Try something new.
    Will achieved Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards. In sixth form, having never studied sport before, he achieved Tripe Distinction.
    You never know where seizing opportunities might take you.
  4. On his travels, Will enjoyed discovering all the different flavours of Lays crisps.
    Whether it was Ketchup flavour in Canada, or Oregano flavour in Greece, try them all, and raise a crisp to Will as a toast.
  5. Never be a spectator to unfairness. Will understood that life is not fair. Bad things happen to good people. Some unfairness is beyond our control, but, like Will, if you see something happening that is unfair, or causes disadvantage to one group, stand up and speak out. Make the world fairer together.
  6. Will firmly believed in the power of sport. He wrote in his UCAS statement,"My ambition is to be a PE Teacher, and encourage a love of sport  in young people. This course will helo me gain the necessary skills and experience to progress my passion for sports into an inspiring career. My experience across a diverse number of sports, both in coaching and as part of a team, with a range of people including those who have special educational needs and disabilities gives me a good grounding to teach with empathy as well as an ability to relate to children whose pathway to success is not always linear. I am passionate about the power that sport has to unite people and provide a lifelong pathway to better health and I cannot think of a better career choice to work with young people and develop their sporting ability.My passion for sport has allowed me to explore a range of opportunities growing up and I continue to play tennis, racketball and squash at a local tennis club, as well as attending the gym and taking part in cardio tennis and tournaments. Over the years I have taken part in competitive swimming, cricket and kayaking. I have played football with Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation disability team and I am currently in their adult team. Through my involvement with the Foundation I even had the opportunity to play football on the pitch at Molineux during half time of a Premier League match. This highlighted to me the influence sport can have on confidence and self esteem and I would like to be able to inspire others in the way I have been inspired".Go out and inspire people. Please. Be a teacher, a mentor and coach. Lift people up.
  7. Find joy in looking at sunsets. Will loved sunsets. He loved the colours, the promise of a better tomorrow. When you see a sunset, please think of my brother.
  8. Teach your children to accept and include children who are different. Life would be boring if we are all the same. One of mine and Will's favourite book series was Diary of A Wimpy Kid. In it, Greg Heffley says, "Let me just say for the record that I think middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. You got kids like me who haven't hit their growth spurt yet mixed in with these gorillas who need to shave twice a day."  All those kids matter. Be kind.
  9. Be someone's mentor, coach, be the reason they believe in themselves more.  Will wanted to be a teacher. We have learned that he already taught people so much. A kind word, or a smile to someone having a bad day. Being a tennis leader, or teaching younger kids football skills. Will taught me a lot as my big brother and I know he helped so many kids with their self-esteem. Can you do the same for someone?
  10.  Forgive people who do or say unkind things, for it is always unhappy people who are unkind. Happiness is.
  11. Believe. Believe in yourself, in the team, in what you can overcome and accomplish. We loved watching SpongeBob, where we learned that, "If you believe in yourself, with a tiny pinch of magic, all your dreams can come true!"
    SpongeBob's boundless optimism shines through in this quote, reminding us of the power of belief. Even when faced with challenges, SpongeBob's confidence in himself and his dreams never wavers.Life Lesson: Self-belief is essential to achieving your goals. While the idea of "magic" may not be literal, the magic of hard work, resilience, and positivity can certainly make dreams a reality. Believe in yourself, even when others doubt you, and keep moving forward.
  12. The Author Terry Pratchett said that, "No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away. The span of someone's life is only the core of their actual existence". Will created so many ripples in his life, of kindness and selflessness. Of care for others, determination to overcome. Many of you have felt those ripples. Remember them, carry them with you. Make your own ripples.
  13. Pattingham Elf. When I was little, Mum and Will came up with an idea to introduce a little bit of Christmas magic to the village. Every year for over 10 years they started the "You've been Elfed" Pattingham Elf. They would buy some gifts, and leave them with a note from the "Elf" on the doorstep of a wide number of children, imploring them to be the next Elf and pass along the spirit of kindness and love. Will loved this so much. He loved hearing about those children who were excited to get a gift and pass on the gift. It spread across the village. I am so proud of him for that.
  14. Be generous. With your time, share what you have.
  15. Will loved video games, and I and others will miss gaming with him. His message would be - Enjoy life like a video game. Approach challenges like a bonus level, every players matters and sometimes you have to press random buttons to see what happens.
  16. Value experiences over things. Will never had much of a Christmas list. He preferred to have a chance to go bowling; or take his Grandma to the cafe for lunch. Will's short life was filled with rich experiences. Go and live for him. See things he cannot see.
  17. Collect happy moments. Will would spend ages looking at stones on a beach to skip across the lake. He loved to star gaze, or roast marshmallows on the fire.
  18. Learn first aid. Will was a St John Ambulance Cadet. Do you know what to do if someone has a seizure? Pledge to know.
  19. See potential everywhere. Especially in overlooked people, the quietest people. Will taught us that the quietest people have the kindest hearts.