Last September, my friend Rhiannon Hull and her six-year-old son, Julian, moved to Costa Rica.

She moved there with high hopes of starting a Waldorf-inspired kindergarten, which if you knew her, wasn’t too surprising. A yoga teacher, eco-blogger, and passionate home schooler, Rhi lived her life by the Holstee Manifesto. She knew life was short and the equation was simple: live every day like it’s your last… live your dream.

Unfortunately, her last day came way too soon. Six weeks after moving to Playa Avellanas (and three weeks before her husband and nine-year-old were to join her), she drowned while saving Julian’s life.

The remarkable tale of her amazing life and heroic death is featured in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. The editors encouraged me to create a video tribute to Rhi for sportsillustrated.com. I hope it moves you, and that you will consider sharing it with your friends and family. The only thing that could soften the blow of her loss, is the hope that her life and heroic last act inspires others, and refreshes the phrase, “a mother’s love.”

Rhi’s friends and family have started a non-profit organization in her honor. The Rhiannon Joy Hull Foundation is committed to raising awareness of alternative education opportunities, and broadening access to such schools by offering financial aid to families in need. We are just starting-up, so if you are inspired to help us with ideas or dollars, we’d be incredibly grateful. Please visit www.rjhf.org. Many thanks.

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Scott Keneally writes about the things most people keep to themselves. His stories about things like chronic bedwetting and sweaty pits have appeared in The New York Times, Jane, Nylon, Details, among others. He doesn’t care if people are laughing with him or at him, so long as they’re laughing.

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Editor: Brianna Bemel