Posted on 03/23/2015 12:21:06 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A series of photographs have gone viral after the inspiring end of a 10K race Saturday in Kentucky.
The photos do not depict the winner of the event, or even a medal ceremony.
They show Asia Ford, determined not to give up, crossing the finish line — hand-in-hand with the two people who inspired her to continue: her son and an officer from the Louisville Metro Police Department.
“When you see the photo, just know that you’re worth it and you can do anything that you can do anything that you put your mind to,” said Ford, who is now 217 pounds lighter than she was two years ago. She has been on a journey to strong and healthy for her three children.
“I just knew that all of those time that we went to the doctor’s office and the doctor told us what could have happened, I wasn’t going to let that happen to me,” Ford said.
Quitting was not an option for Ford during Louisville’s annual Rodes City Run, she said. But after about 5 miles, with just over a mile to go, she began to wonder if she could finish.
“My breath was kind of like, it felt like it was taken from me,” she said.
That’s when emergency medical services personnel became concerned.
“The EMS guys got out and talked to her, went to check on her,” said police Lt. Aubrey Gregory. “And she was like, ‘I’m not stopping. I’m not stopping.’ So she kept going.”
According to Ford, the police officer asked her: “You’re going to finish the race, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“And I said I’m not going to let her stop. We’re going to do this together,” said Gregory, who then got out of his vehicle. “She grabbed my hand. I grabbed her hand.”
Holding hands with her son and Gregory, Ford finished the race.
“Watching her go across that line, raising her hands, I felt that all over,” the officer said. “It was a great moment.”
Ping
Good for her! Thanks for sharing.
Another one of those ‘racist’ white cops... (roll eyes)
No matter what he did that white cop is racist #blacklivesmatter
/sarc
got me by 88s!
Nice to see humans acting human.
Good for her though - losing 240 pounds has got to take an extraordinary amount of willpower and effort.
Very Sad.
Sad this is considered newsworthy. My guess is only those on the Left are moved by this photo. Me? I see a natural, unremarkable and everyday occurrence. But to those on the Left who believe everyone is a closet racist I’m sure this is an amazing photo.
That’s a really good picture.
It gets me right in the heart, which sometimes I think I don’t have one anymore in this world.
I’m glad to know it is still there.
You’re wrong. I’m moved by it.
Where is the “Hands up,don’t shoot” group of idiots now?
Not a peep.
.
They’re collecting witness statements saying the cop was frisking her. I mean....can’t you just tell by the photo?
Look, he’s frisking her!
That is the average American race relation and cop.
Pray America is waking
I wasn’t black and I hadn’t just lost 200 lbs, but I was running in a very hilly 10k and when I rounded a residential corner alone and saw yet ANOTHER hill, I slowed to a walk in dismay. A man came up to me, no flirting at all, and said, “oh, no. We can do this. We are gonna finish this. Let’s do it.” He got me back to running and we did the rest of the race together, him offering words of strength and encouragement, until the last little push to the finish inside the park, where he shrugged and said, “you know what I gotta do,” and jogged through the crowd alone to applause. He was Martin Sheen, he had just recovered from his heart attack, and he was very kind when no one in the world was looking.
Never become so jaded you miss minor miracles.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.