(Image Source: ABC / Jeff McKeefry)
BY CHARLIE MCKEAGUE
ANCHOR JONAH JAVAD
Minnesota has a new hero. His name is Josh Ripley. The cross country running - highschooler did something others didn’t. He stopped to rescue a fallen foe.
“Anchor: Another runner’s spike pierced Marks ankle, he began bleeding badly
Mark: I could see my ankle bone and I knew it was bad. A lot of runners passed me.
Anchor: But then came Josh who saw mark on the ground clutching his ankle.
Josh: It was bleeding pretty profusely and I asked him if I could help him and he said I could so I picked him up and started running with him.
Mark: Just scooped me up and started running, I was like woahh.” (WCCO)
Ripley has been called a hero in Minnesota - but he’s downplaying the whole thing saying he can’t believe it’s gotten this much attention. ABC News has one of his quotes.
"I really feel I just did the right thing … Any of my teammates would have done the same thing. It wasn’t an act of heroism. It was an act of kindness that I know I needed to accomplish.”
Ripley said he rounded the corner – saw Mark in trouble and did what anybody else would have done. He carried Mark for roughly half a mile - getting blood all over himself in the process. But according to Minnesota’s KARE that’s just Josh being Josh.
Reporter: “You could call it the definition of sportsmanship but those who know him say its simply the definition of Josh.
Ripley’s Mom: “It’s very much in his character so we were proud of him and we were beaming inside. But that’s just how Josh is, so we didn’t think anything more other than that’s just what Josh would do.”
You could call him humble as well. A writer for Larry Brown Sports says despite his reluctance to be recognized - he still will be.
“Ripley may not think his actions were special, but they were. He’ll be honored by the school board on Monday for his excellent display of sportsmanship.”
Twenty stitches later - Mark is in a boot and walking without crutches. Although the injury wasn’t life threatening - he’s still very grateful for Ripley’s kind actions.
“I just want to say I’m really really thankful for what he did. Stopping his race just to help me is really truly a wonderful thing he did.”
Wonder how Josh finished the race? After dropping Mark off he was dead last - but he managed to pass about 50 runners before finishing.
Transcript by Newsy.
