Some say that sports do not make people’s character. It reveals it.
Abbey D’Agostino and Nikki Hamblin had never met before the Olympics but their names are forever linked in Olympic History.
While running the first round heat of the 5000M D’Agostino fell on the eighth lap of the race. Hamblin fell in front of D’Agostino, who was following closely behind. D’Agostino fell, too, and her knee buckled. Nikki Hamblin turned to Abbey D’Agostino to help her up and D’Agostino fell again but together they finished the race.
“I went down, and I was like, ‘What’s happening? Why am I on the ground?’ ” Hamblin said. “Then suddenly, there’s this hand on my shoulder
[and D’Agostino saying], ‘Get up, get up, we have to finish this.’ And I’m like, ‘Yup, yup, you’re right. This is the Olympic Games. We have to finish this.’“I’m so grateful for Abbey for doing that for me. That girl is the Olympic spirit right there. I’ve never met her before. I’ve never met this girl before, and isn’t that just so amazing? Regardless of the race and the result on the board, that’s a moment that you’re never, ever going to forget for the rest of your life, that girl shaking my shoulder like, ‘Come on, get up.’ ” (Source LA Times)
The two were later advanced to the next round but the Olympics was over for Abbey D’Agostino. It turned out she had run the last 4 laps with a torn ACL and torn meniscus. In the Final it was so awesome to see Abbey D’Agostino cheering Nikki Hamblin on as she finished her race.
A Moment worth celebrating
Even though nobody medaled it was still worth celebrating according to Nikki Hamblin
“Of course we’re here to perform and we’re here to compete, “But if you just rely on being proud of what happens on the track, that really limits you. Say you race 10 times a year. I normally race the 1500, so that’s, what, four minutes? So we’re talking about [40] minutes of happiness in a 12-month period. So you have to take the other moments, the moments of joy you get from experiences like that as well.”D’Agostino saw the divine in that moment
“I think that the qualities that people see as heroic and altruistic, those come from God,” she said. “I’m glad he’s chosen me to be an instrument of that and react that way in that moment.”
It’s a moment that Nikki Hamblin says she will never forget. I think she speaks for many!
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