Former BYU track and field athlete Justin Bingham died on Oct. 5 after an accidental fall near Heaps Canyon in Zion National Park.
Bingham was 40 years old.
According to the National Park Service, Bingham was canyoneering with three other people when the accident occurred.
Bingham was a sprinter for the BYU track and field team from 2005-08. He set his personal best marks of 53.03 in the 400-meter hurdles, 8.54 in the 60-meter hurdles and 40.09 in the 300-meter hurdles.
Before competing at BYU, Bingham served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Milan, Italy. In his obituary it reads, “We can only imagine him shouting for joy in the presence of our Savior at the announcement of the Milan Temple less than 24 hours after his passing.”
"Justin brought a smile and a football every day to practice," said BYU assistant track coach Kyle Grossarth. "His competitive spirit and enthusiasm for life were contagious to all of his teammates. He was such a great representative of BYU and the Track and Field program. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his sweet wife Lindsay and their four children.”
Bingham graduated from BYU with a degree in Italian and a minor in business. He was an accomplished entrepreneur as he was featured in Utah Valley BusinessQ as one of Utah Valley’s 10 Coolest Entrepreneurs. At the time of his passing, Bingham was working as the co-founder and CEO of the tech company, Opiniion.
“Justin was involved in a tragic accident while enjoying one of his greatest passions — exploring the outdoors,” according to a statement from Opiniion.
Bingham is survived by his wife Lindsay and their four children.
