She had run 25 and 1/2  miles for nothing. Weeping, she sat on the curb in dismay, overwhelmed with emotion for those who lost their lives, the injured, and her own empty efforts.

Then, out of nowhere, a stranger walked up to her and handed over his medal. He had already finished before the explosions and was escaping the ensuing chaos.

She clutched the medal and then he was gone. Laura didn’t get a name and she hardly could utter a thanks. So she turned to Facebook to tell her story and to find her benefactor.

He was found.  It was 46-year old Brent Cunningham of Sitka, Alaska.

The Star newspaper tracked him down and got his story. About a half hour after finishing the race, Brent heard in the distance the explosive devices go off, and realized the shattered lives and limbs at the finish line. He quickly gathered his family and rushed back to their hotel room.  On the way, they encountered the broken Laura Wellington.

 “I just knew what I had to do,” he said. “I just wanted to let her know she was amazing. I said, ‘You’re a finisher in my eyes.’ “

I think about the long hours Brent had put into preparing for this race, probably his one shot at the famous event. How many cold workouts had he endured, pounding pavement in the Alaska dark all winter long. And he gave up his one prize to a stranger sitting on a curb.

No surprise, but Brent was motivated by something else beside an altrustic spirit. As the regional director for Alaska Young Life, he knows about sacrifice.

“She needed it more than I needed it. I just wanted her to know that ‘you’re worth it.’” He told  The Star. “With everything that has happened, our world is looking for hope. My whole life is about loving God and loving others. That’s who I am.”

This makes me pause. All of my accomplishments; all of my awards; all of my trophies – Could I give them all away?

Hear the interview with Brent here.

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