“Don’t Give Up” or “Never Give Up” is one of the most repeated phrases being used all the time. Human beings have limits, and when we reached the limit, the thought of letting go is stronger. Thus, “not giving up” is a phrase that is much easier said than done.
Let’s use running as an example. You took part in a 10KM relay competition and when it’s your turn to run, an unfortunate incident caused you to stumble and fall, resulted in injury to your legs. Would you stop and let your team down, or would you brace the pain and continue to finish the competition? No matter what your answer is, this Japanese runner broke her boundaries entirely and went on to finish her run during the Iwatani Sangyo corporate “Ekiden” relay marathon.
19 year old Japanese Runner Iida Rei crawls to the finish line on bloody knees after leg injury in a marathon, she did it so her teammate could continue to race.
"Winners never quit and quitters never win." #RunSociety pic.twitter.com/CyR4LkKY7U— RunSociety (@Run_Society) November 14, 2018
Miss Rei Iida, a 19-years-old university student, participated in the Princess Ekiden in Fukuoka Prefecture under the Iwatani Sangyo Corporate “Ekiden” relay marathon team with her team on 21st October 2018. During her run, she lost her footing and fell to the ground, fracturing her leg towards the end of her 2.2 miles distance.
Despite the excruciating pain in her leg, the university student did not give up as her willpower to finish was much stronger. Iida immediately dropped to her knees and started crawling on all fours, scrapping both her legs and hands during the process. Not to mention, the cuts on the knees eventually gave way and started bleeding profusely as she painfully hands over the baton to her next teammate.
Everyone, including the race officials and commentators of the live broadcast could be heard cheering her on while her teammate waited for her in tears to take over the sash. The head of the judge mentioned:
I struggled to decide whether I should stop her, but I felt she could do it as she was almost at her goal.
However, despite the pushing, her team manager has already called for the withdrawal of his team after hearing that Iida fell. Surprisingly, she was not notified of the issue and continued crawling until she finished. Regardless, Tetsuhiko Kin, one of the sports commentators, thinks that she would have crawled all the way even if she knew about the withdrawal. This was what he said:
She seemed driven to somehow arrive at the relay point, which she could see when she fell
Assuringly, Miss Iida actions supported his claim as she refuses to stop when being approached and only asked:
How many metres are left until my goal?
After her section concluded, Iida was immediately rushed towards the hospital to get treated for her fractured leg. It is said that her leg is expected to heal in three to four months time. Her strong perseverance has reached the public as she received praises,
She has a strong sense of responsibility. We are moved by her perseverance.
Despite all the admiration, she still apologised to the team and her manager for her performance.
Do you think she was inspiring? What will you do after falling during a race? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section below!
