The great race(a brave boys effort)

[piersdad]

The great race
The school sports were on and every one was expected to compete in at least one event.
The star event of the day was the 400 meters race.
There were some really good sprinters in it, the elite of the school, the competition was so fierce that only about 6 boys were brave enough to enter,  they feared that they would come so far behind the leaders they would get ridiculed.
The sports master pleaded for just a few more entrants to make the race a bit more interesting.
A hand raised up and a small voice “said count me in sir”
.
“Kavana you can hardly walk let alone run”
“Can I have a small handicap then sir?”
Very well then Kavana I will put your name down and tomorrow I will time you over the 400 meters,  good on you for trying.”
The next day the sports master timed the brave crippled boys running speed and then compared it to the expected speed of the senior boys race of last year.

The great day came and when the boys were lined up the master measured off the calculated distance and placed the crippled boy there, it mounted to nearly half the distance.
The starting pistol fired,  Kavana slowly sped up to a fast hobble  around the track  soon to be passed by the thundering group of fellow racers as they completed the first circuit of the 200 meter track.
 Kavana hobbled on and it was clear that he had got halfway to the finish line,
The whole school of 600 boys suddenly realized that Kavana  was really putting his best into the race and  might actually get to the finish line.
A rising cheering started  and as  Kavana got nearer to the finish line it was really apparent that he might actually win.?
The cheering changed to a chant of “Kavana Kavana go man go
Behind Kavana  thundering up the front straight like a pack of race horses came the elite sprinters of the school.
   Kavana was still in front and the boys realized that they might get beaten by a cripple and put all their effort into the race.
The cheering  rose to a crescendo and Kavana  responded with a mighty effort and collapsed across the finish line just inches in front of the other boys.

Later when the prizes were handed out there was no doubt who was the winner of the day 


Posted on: April 11, 2006, 08:47:30 AMKavana would have had a short life but i bet he will never have forgotten that race

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[dbackfan]

Good story, piersdad.  I love the line, "Kavana slowly sped up to a fast hobble."  The way it's written makes one's heart well up inside for the main character.

Hope all is well with you and yours.  Terri

[piersdad]

I still feel the emotion of the time even 52 years later
he was an example to the school that you just have to try to suceed