PROVO -- Since his wife died, seeing flashy fingernail polish can bring Al Joyner to tears. And so can eating a sandwich in Utah.
He and his late wife, Florence Griffith, an Olympic gold medalist and world record breaker, had loved this state and were hoping to eventually buy a home in Orem.While sitting in a sandwich shop Thursday, during a brief one-day trip to Utah County, Joyner reflected on his past trips to Utah with his wife.
"It was one of our dreams to live in Utah." Joyner said. "When we came down here we got a chance to see the family atmosphere. We liked that."
Flo Jo, as her fans affectionately called her, died in September after suffering a seizure that caused her to suffocate on her pillows and blankets while she slept.
Joyner, also Flo Jo's coach, had encouraged his wife to write down and visualize her goals. Before the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, signs saying "gold medal" could be found hanging everywhere in their home.
"If you have a dream it does not become a reality until you actually put it on paper," he said.
Joyner still plans on helping Flo Jo finish her life goals.
Preceding her death, "Running for Dummies" -- a book Griffith had recently completed -- was also displayed on signs in every room of their house, motivating her to write the help book for runners. Since February, Joyner has been on a book-signing tour promoting the book and is planning a European tour this summer.
He is also establishing a half marathon in his wife's honor on Memorial Day in Southern California, working on an autobiography and trying to respond to all the letters from children who had written to his wife. He said the letters could take him 15 years to return.
But mostly his life is focused on Mary, his 8-year-old daughter, named after Joyner's mother who died when he was 21 years old.
"The two special women in my life were all of a sudden taken from me," he said.
His mother was 37 when she died -- his wife, 38.
Mary has been Joyner's strength since Griffith's death. A trip to Universal Studios with his daughter brought back memories of family trips for Joyner. Mary caught him crying in the theme park; Joyner said she looked up at him, grabbed his hand and said, "Daddy, when God calls for us, we'll see her again."
Like her mother, Mary has her sights on the future at a very young age. Joyner said his wife was laughed at in grade school by her teacher when she told the teacher of her goals to become an Olympic runner, a writer, a fashion designer and a beautician -- all of which she reached. Mary would like to become a doctor, a teacher and a gymnast. Already she has made significant progress for one goal.
The night before her mother died, Mary, who competes on a national gymnastic team, won her first medal.
"The next day she said to me, Mommy saw me get my medal, that's why she had to go see God."
Joyner hurried back home Thursday night so he could spend Mother's Day weekend with his daughter. He was in Provo working on a promotional video for Nu Skin and plans on returning later this year as part of the "Running for Dummies" book-signing tour.