Believe it or not

It was an act of kindness I know I needed to accomplish.

Those are the words of Josh Ripley, a junior at Andover High School in Minnesota, after he carried Lakeville South freshman Mark Paulauskas to safety during the Applejack Invite 5k Race.

Josh had just rounded a corner in the race, a spot with no spectators or coaches, when he saw Mark propped up against a fence clenching his bloody ankle.  Apparently another runner’s spikes had accidentally collided with Mark’s ankle, slicing a three-inch gash to the bone.  Josh immediately went to the much smaller boy, picked him up and carried him to safety as one would cradle a baby. The entire way, Josh offered words of comfort to Mark and safely delivered him to the coaches.  Then he continued the race.

Needless to say, Josh did not win the race, but he won a lot of fans, and a lot of appreciation from Mark, his coaches and family.  Like most heroes, Josh is modest and humble.  When asked why he was the only runner to stop, he simply said, “runners get in the zone” and sometimes don’t notice too much of what’s going on around them.  What a kind young man.  Thanks, Josh, for a very special random act of kindness.

For more on the story, check out the ABC News link:  http://abcnews.go.com/US/minnesota-high-school-runner-josh-ripley-called-hero/story?id=14585732