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Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Sport

Huge inspirational act victory in itself

By jared.smith@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
Whanganui Chronicle·
3 Jun, 2016 09:00 PM4 mins to read

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GUIDING SPIRIT: Athletes like US Marine Myles Kerr with Boden Fuchs prove the spirit of sport is often more important than winning.PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

GUIDING SPIRIT: Athletes like US Marine Myles Kerr with Boden Fuchs prove the spirit of sport is often more important than winning.PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

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HOW DO you define winning? In this modern, cynical world of ours, the simplest definition would be having numerically superior advantage over your opponents at the end of the contest - perhaps motivated by the higher financial reward or larger gift of silverware.

It's the easiest way to quantify winning - no need for any discussion of the nuances involved in your sport - just "look at me, I've got the biggest [insert prize here]", and everyone will get it.

Which brings me to Wanganui Collegiate and 18-year-old pupil Harry Unsworth.

Hopefully, everyone has read John Maslin's fine story on Pg2 of the Wanganui Chronicle yesterday about the teenager's selfless gesture during the final fifth of the 5km race during the Property Brokers Round the Bridges fun run on May 22.

'Mas' kind of jumped the gun a little bit for this column I was planning to write about the moment, but I don't think anyone would mind if we took two bites at the cherry to offer further recognition for another, more unique definition of 'winning'.

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They take their sport dead seriously at Collegiate - it is part of the various codes mandatory curriculum that athletes enter local events on weekends, such as the fun run, with such support bringing a healthy and gratefully received boost for entry numbers.

Unsworth's name has come across my desk a few times in the past three years - a handy batsman for the school's First XI who played age grade for Whanganui, and a strong winger who made the tournament team at the Hurricanes Regional competition from the Whanganui Under 16s, thereby earning the right to take part in that Super Rugby franchise's youth development camp.

In the running stakes, he is a contemporary of schoolmates like international cross country representatives Christian Conder and Jane Lennox, former school star Geordie Beamish, and the likewise world-travelling Harry Symes.

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Therefore, it's safe to say 'holding back' would not be two words commonly found in the Unsworth vocabulary.

However, on May 22 when 10-year-old St George pupil Oliver Jones came puffing up beside him on the Dublin St Bridge and proceeded to "hit the wall" as it's known in running - adrenaline drains away and the mind begins to tell the body it can't keep going - Unsworth chose to abandon personal goals and guide the young lad home.

Unsworth stayed with Jones, encouraging him, drafting alongside him, and creating quite the inspirational sight as the pair approached the Kowhai Park finish line together.

Mum Lesley Jones describes the moment better than I could.

"Oliver catches up to this Collegiate (Giant) and says 'will you run with me and help me through to the finish?'

"The Collegiate boy, steps up to the request and says 'Keep going, you can do it. Don't give up, come on, you can beat me'.

"He puts his own race on hold to support this small guy who is giving his all, putting others before self."

It was fantastic to have a home-grown version of a similar story that went viral a few years ago.

In the small town of Charlevoix, Michigan, competitive 19-year-old US Marine Myles Kerr had entered the town's annual race with his local unit when distressed 9-year-old Boden Fuchs came to his side.

"Sir, will you please run with me?" Fuchs asked, struggling badly after losing the group he had started with in the 5km event.

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Everyone knows if you give a Marine a mission, he sees that mission through to the end.

Kerr stayed with the boy for the remainder of the race, letting him finish ahead of him in around 34 minutes and well behind the rest of his unit.

If you look above, you cannot help but notice the symmetry between the two photographs - the picture of Kerr went global with over 200,000 'likes' on Facebook.

"After that he came up to me, hugged me and said thanks. It was cool," Unsworth modestly understated this week.

Strong athletes setting aside desire for personal success in order to encourage a young fellow to achieve something that they felt was beyond them.

We have our new definition of winning.

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