{"id":820,"date":"2013-04-29T05:30:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-29T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.195.124.95\/~redletu4\/he-gave-his-medal-away-to-a-stranger-the-boston-marathon-saint\/"},"modified":"2013-04-29T05:30:00","modified_gmt":"2013-04-29T11:30:00","slug":"he-gave-his-medal-away-to-a-stranger-the-boston-marathon-saint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/he-gave-his-medal-away-to-a-stranger-the-boston-marathon-saint\/","title":{"rendered":"He Gave His Medal Away to a Stranger: The Boston Marathon Saint"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

\n

\n<\/h1>\n
Laura Wellington was half a mile away from finishing when the bombs went off. The\u00a0Boston Marathon<\/a>\u00a0came to a screeching, horrifying halt.<\/span><\/div>\n
She had run 25 and 1\/2 \u00a0miles 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.<\/div>\n
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.<\/div>\n
She clutched the medal and then he was gone. Laura didn\u2019t get a name and she hardly could utter a thanks. So she turned to Facebook to tell her story and to find her benefactor.<\/div>\n
He was found. \u00a0It was 46-year old Brent Cunningham of\u00a0Sitka, Alaska<\/a>.<\/div>\n
The Star newspaper tracked him down and got his\u00a0story<\/a>. 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. \u00a0On the way, they encountered the broken Laura Wellington.<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u201cI just knew what I had to do,\u201d he said. \u201cI just wanted to let her know she was amazing. I said, \u2018You\u2019re a finisher in my eyes.\u2019 \u201c<\/div>\n
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.<\/div>\n
No surprise, but Brent was motivated by something else beside an altrustic spirit. As the regional director for\u00a0Alaska Young Life<\/a>, he knows about sacrifice.<\/div>\n
\u201cShe needed it more than I needed it. I just wanted her to know that \u2018you\u2019re worth it.\u2019\u201d He told \u00a0The Star<\/a><\/em>. \u201cWith everything that has happened, our world is looking for hope. My whole life is about loving God and loving others. That\u2019s who I am.\u201d<\/div>\n
This makes me pause. All of my accomplishments; all of my awards; all of my trophies \u2013 Could I give them all away?<\/div>\n
Hear the interview with Brent\u00a0here.<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
Please, share with a friend if you feel moved.
\nRead all past issues at http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Laura Wellington was half a mile away from finishing when the bombs went off. The\u00a0Boston Marathon\u00a0came to a screeching, horrifying halt. She had run 25 and 1\/2 \u00a0miles 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, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHe Gave His Medal Away to a Stranger: The Boston Marathon Saint<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Laura Wellington was half a mile away from finishing when the bombs went off. The\u00a0Boston Marathon\u00a0came to a screeching, horrifying halt. 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