Peter Crane, 66, is a marathon enthusiast. He has run more than 100 marathons since he fell in love with running in his 50s, but 45 times he has pushed disabled young people to complete the marathon. The reason is simple. Crane wants to help young people who are tied to wheelchairs enjoy running.
Crane came into contact with the marathon in his 50s. Since then, he has fallen in love with the sport and actively participated in competitions everywhere. But one race changed Crane's marathon trip.
One year before the Boston Marathon, Crane's friend Scott Patrick was diagnosed with brain cancer. He hoped that Crane would raise money for cancer research through the marathon. Colin answered his friend's request, and with the efforts of him and some volunteers, they raised about $60,000. However, Patrick died before Crane delivered the medal to Patrick.
Despite his friend's death, Crane was deeply impressed by the game. For the first time, he realized that the game he liked was meaningful and helpful. Crane read a news story about a father pushing his disabled son to participate in a long-distance race, which made him think: those children who do not have such a father, if they want to feel the joy of running, what should they do?
So before taking part in a Las Vegas marathon in 2012, Crane contacted a woman who had two daughters with cerebral palsy. The youngest of the two daughters was pushed by Crane to finish the competition, which was the first time that Crane had done such a good deed. He said it gave more meaning to the marathon.
In the 2012 Boston Marathon, Crane pushed disabled girls to run the marathon for the first time.
Since then, whenever Kran wants to run a marathon, he will first ask parents of disabled children who can't run at the local airport, shop or coffee shop, "If your child wants to experience the feeling of running a marathon, please contact me."
The children went to the marathon at Kran's own expense. "I'll feel better in this way. It's a reward to the society." He said.
Over the years, he has brought along "running" marathon "children" who are 32 years old and 8 years younger. They suffer from cerebral palsy, have experienced severe brain damage, but there is a similarity: they all like the feeling of participating in competitions. "They like the cheers on the field and the feeling of running. The other contestants were great too. They would clap hands with the children as they passed by.
Crane still hasn't stopped his marathon. He runs seven times a year because he knows he has to be in good health before he can continue to do it. "The children are my motivation. If I stop, I may not be able to run any more." Crane said that although training is hard, he always gets encouragement from the children. "Looking at what they and their families are experiencing, I don't think it's too difficult for me."
Crane's favorite sportswear says, "Keep exercising, love selflessly, give love to others." That's how he lives. "I don't want to stop. I'll try to keep fit and run to my 80s." "My goal is to keep going until I can't run, and I hope someone will keep doing it for me," Crane said.
From the Internet