Kenyan runner gives up win to help collapsed competitor cross finish line, awarded $15,000
This runner gave up on a gold medal, but proved he has a heart of gold.
A Kenyan runner was awarded $15,000 after giving up his chances of winning a race to help a competitor finish.
Simon Cheprot was about to cross the finish line in the Okpekpe Internation 10-kilometer Road Race in Nigeria when he noticed a fellow Kenyan runner, Kenneth Kipkemoi, collapse.
He stopped, lifted Kipkemoi up and carried him across the finish line.
Cheprot won the 2016 Okpekpe Race and finished second last year. He was a strong contender to be the first person to win twice in the seven years the annual race began.
“My dad told me one day, ‘When you’re walking and you meet a sick person on the road, help him. Do not leave him’, so that was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw my friend on the ground,” Cheprot reportedly said after the race.
And the selfless act didn’t go unnoticed. Several local politicians awarded Cheprot a total of $15,000, according to local reports.
“This is what is called sportsmanship,” race promoter Mike Itemuagbor said. “Simon gave proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect and a sense of fellowship with his competitors. He is our hero, he is the hero of the seventh edition of the race.”