LC was my PHD supervisor...a job he did not have to take on. Saved my butt.

He set a new standard for sport management scholarship in Australia. He was a rising tide that lifted many boats.

He was both a gentleman and a scholar....and perhaps the best thinker I ever met.

I would have been nothing without him.

Dr. Chalip is the person who has influenced me most intellectually. I often reflect on the many conversations over the years in which he guided me through the intellectual world—especially during my time as his graduate student from 2002 to 2008. The moments in his classroom and office, at NASSM conferences, during forest walks with the dogs after long hours of writing, and in Alameda after my first year working at Laurentian remain vivid in my mind.

I am forever indebted to Dr. Chalip for his mentorship and friendship. Without him, I would not be the person I am today, nor would I think the way I do. It deeply saddens me that I have not seen him in person since 2019 and that I missed the opportunity to spend time with him as I did during my studies. I had always thought I would have time to do so in the years to come.

All my memories of him will stay with me forever. He holds a unique place in my heart, accompanied by countless images and moments—each alive with his voice, wisdom, and thoughtful insights; his heartfelt kindness and support; that intense, thoughtful gaze, always followed by wonderful ideas and solutions; and the occasional warm touch of his hands, which I can still feel anytime, anywhere.

During the years I was pursuing graduate study at UT under his supervision, Dr. Chalip visited Beijing in 2004—I coordinated the local arrangements, and he actually paid for his airfare himself. In the years ensuing, he made month-long visits to Shanghai at the invitation of SSU. During his Beijing visit in the summer of 2004, he not only gave lectures on sport event leverage at CUPES and CUEF but also spent time sightseeing. It was a fun and enjoyable experience to accompany him on tours in both Beijing and Shanghai. I recall that amid our sightseeing, we also had long conversations, particularly while visiting the Shanghai Museum.

In retrospect, I feel fortunate to have had these opportunities. The story below always makes me smile and then heart-wrenching since his passing —it is so characteristic of LC's patterns of behavior and thinking:

At the entrance to the Great Wall in the summer of 2004, he paused, stood still, and closed his eyes amid the crowd. He said he wanted to feel the essence of Chinese culture. That was over twenty years ago, but the moment remains vivid and is dearly cherished, as I was the only on-site witness.