A Student Athlete's Example

Have you herd the story of Josh Ripley?

Josh is a sixteen-year-old junior at Andover (MN) High School. On September 16, 6-foot 5-inch Josh was one of 261 competitors in a 5 K race. About half way through the race, Josh heard a scream and saw another runner, someone he didn’t know, collapsed against a fence and holding a profusely bleeding ankle.

Mark Paulauskas, a 5-foot 5-inch freshman at Lakeville (MN) South High, was the injured athlete.

Here is what Mark said about what happened next: "He just picked me up without saying anything and started carrying me and trying to calm me down. He said, 'It's going to be OK. I'm going to get you to your coaches.' ... I think it's amazing."

Meanwhile, Josh’s own coach was becoming concerned as he tried to figure out why Josh hadn’t passed the halfway mark. When Coach Scott Clark spotted Josh he was “ ... wondering what was going on, why was he so far back. Then I see Josh. He's got the kid in his arms."

Turns out Josh Ripley carried Mark about a quarter mile. He hands him off to his own coaches and family. And then – dead last in the field of runners, Josh resumes his race. In the end he passed about 50 kids to finish 211th out of 261 runners. Without excuse, without disappointment, without explanation, he just finished what he had started, a 5 K foot race.

Teammate Simeon Toronto asked him, “Why did you fall so far behind?” Simeon says, "He just humbly says, 'Oh, I picked up a kid. And I'm like, 'Dude, you just picked up a kid and carried him?' That's incredible!" Then added Toronto: "It was just so typical Josh."

Newspaper reports simply cite this as a wonderful example of sportsmanship. But there is more. What Josh did is core to the very practical faith Josh embraces. Both Mark and Josh, in their accounts of the event, say that Josh prayed over Mark as he ran with him in his arms. He prayed for Mark’s pain to stop and for him to be all right. He even asked Mark’s permission before he started the prayer.

But Josh, who also volunteers for Living Word Christian Center, says he did nothing special. “I’m just thankful to God to let me be there for someone who needed me.”

By the way, Mark's ankle needed 20 stitches to close the gash another runner's spikes accidentally created. There was no deeper damage to ligaments or tendons and Mark should fully recover.

I love this story. Josh is a great example of how God intended us to care for each other, to pray for each other and to do so with no expectation of notice or reward.

Thank you Josh.