High school runner helps injured competitor finish their race

(Image credit: iStock)

published 3 September 2020

When high school runner Axel Aleman saw Levi LaGrange injure himself during a race last weekend, he stopped to help, knowing that while it meant he wouldn't finish with one of his better times, it was the right thing to do.

Aleman, a senior, and LaGrange, a sophomore, were running a 5K in the Southwestern Small School Invitational in Shelbyville, Indiana. With about half a mile left to go, LaGrange felt his ankle roll as he ran up a hill. "It was like it popped out of place real quick," he told the Indianapolis Star. Aleman was right behind him, and could see that he was limping and in pain.

Other runners were flying past, but Aleman stopped to offer his help. "As soon as I saw him, I knew I had to do something," Aleman said. "It just seemed like the right thing to do. That mattered more than the race. I told him I wasn't going to leave." He put his hand on LaGrange's back for support, and helped him the rest of the way. At the finish line, he let LaGrange cross first, so he came in 57th place, followed by Aleman in 58th.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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