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Starting Together;

Finishing Together

Derek Redmond

Young British Runner

Shattered his countrys 400 meter record at nineteen

Sports injury forced him to withdraw from the 1988 Olympics

Five separate surgeries to correct the problem

1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona

65,000 fans streamed into the stadium

Dereks father was a faithful witness to every one of his sons world competitions.

Wearing a T-Shirt, Have you hugged your foot today?

Race beganDerek broke through the pack and took the lead.

Headed down the backstretch.

Heard a pop.

It was his right hamstring.

Pulled up lame, looking as if he had been shot.

Began to hop on the other leg.

Fell to the track.

The jinx has struck again!

Medical personnel ran toward him as he sprawled on the ground, holding his right

hamstring.

Stir in the stands.

Seeing his son in trouble,

Jim desperately worked his way down toward the track.

No credentials.

Not supposed to be on the track.

Tears poured down Dereks face.

All he could think of was, I dontwant a DNF!

Derek could not stand the thought of having a DNF written beside his name at the Olympics

Im not getting on that stretcher

Im going to finish my race.

Started hopping

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One painful step at a time.

Derek limped onward.

Fans rose to their feet.

Began to cheer.

Louder and louder.

Building into a thunderous roar.

Jim reached the bottom of the stands.

Vaulted the railing

Dodged the security guard

Ran to his son

Thats my son outthere

Im going to help him.

Reached his son.

Im here son.

We will finish this together.

Derek put his arms around his fathers shoulders and sobbed.

TOGETHER, arm in arm,

Father and son

Struggled toward the finish line

65,000 people cheering, clapping, and crying.

Within a few feet of the finish line Jim released the grip he had on his son,

so that Derek could cross the finish line by himself.

Im the proudest father alive.

Im prouder of him than I would have been if he had won the gold medal.

Together, they kept a promise they had made---

To finish the raceno matter what!Jim Redmonds words:

Whatever happens he had to finish.

And I was there to help him.

I intended to go over the line with him.

We started his career TOGETHER.

I think we should finish it TOGETHER!

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Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us

lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with

patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our

faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and

is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).