Believe it or not, Ripley stops racing for rival

Believe it or not, Ripley stops racing for rival Josh Ripley was a mile into his cross-country race and running hard when he saw a problem: another runner, lying hurt and bleeding from a 3-inch gash left by another runner's spikes.

Ripley veered over and scooped up the younger runner, carrying him half a mile to help in a snap decision that cost him any chance to win the race but drew praise for sportsmanship.

"He just picked me up and ran with me," said Mark Paulauskas, a Lakeville South freshman who needed 20 stitches in a hospital emergency room to close the wound. "I think it's amazing. ... He stopped his race just to help me."

Ripley, a junior at Andover High School, said the decision to help during the junior varsity meet Sept. 16 was instinct. He described hearing Paulauskas screaming in pain.

"I just knew I needed to help him," Ripley said. "I think a lot of other runners would have, too, had they realized the situation. But they were really focused on their race. I just couldn't leave him there."

Carrying the 5-foot-5, 100-pound Paulauskas wasn't a problem for the 6-foot-plus Ripley.

Paulauskas' father, Gene, wrote a letter to Ripley's high school principal about the act and also wrote a thank-you letter to Ripley.

"It showed a great deal of sportsmanship and kindness for a runner who was on a different team to stop, forget about his own race and help Mark out," Gene Paulauskas said. "Especially nowadays where everyone is kind of me-first. ....To assist a kid he doesn't know from Adam, that's a pretty neat kid."

 

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- Posted on September 25, 2011
Submitted by 625Ellie on Monday, 05/07/2012 - 14:17.

That is awesome! He showed good sportsmanship. Some people probably wouldn't care that the boy was hurt and go on with their race. I would have done the same thing that josh did. I wonder how the boy had got ton hurt by the spikes.

Submitted by IzzyM23 on Monday, 05/07/2012 - 14:10.

Comment: That is crazy. He is awesome.. Not a lot of people would have just stood up a race to help somebody. I know I would of. Just to have that feeling that you helped or help somebody is amazing, I absolutely love that feeling.

Submitted by IzzyM23 on Monday, 05/07/2012 - 14:04.

Summary: Josh Ripley was doing cross country when he was a mile into his race when he saw another runner lying on the floor shrieking of pain. He got kicked by another runners spikes. He had a 3 inch gash. Riley saw him and ran towards Mark Paulauskas and picked him up. Mark had to get 20 stitches. After that marks father wrote a letter to ripleys high school principal about the incident, and he also wrote a letter thanking ripley.

Submitted by Jsleezy76 on Sunday, 05/06/2012 - 14:55.

What a great guy. Not many people would lose the race to help someone they don't know. Its people like this that the world needs more of to make it a better place. I know personally it would be harsh to do something like this.

Submitted by jamess-Ste on Friday, 05/04/2012 - 13:12.

I think its preatty neat that a kid would stop basicly forfit his race so that he could help a kid he doesnt know and i think its weird how the person that cleated him didnt stop to help him or do anything.

Submitted by VishalN0816 on Friday, 04/20/2012 - 13:28.

Comment
This guy is awesome. Not a lot of people would have just give up a race to help somebody. I know I would have helped that guy out if I saw him. Just to have that feeling that you helped or help somebody is amazing. By doing this hopefully if Ripley was injured someone would help like he helped Mark.

Submitted by VishalN0816 on Friday, 04/20/2012 - 13:26.

Summary
This article is about how Josh Ripley was doing cross country race. When he was a mile into his race when he saw another runner lying on the floor shrieking of pain. He got kicked by other runners. The injury was that he had a 3 inch gash. Josh saw him and ran towards the other runner and picked him up. Mark the severely injured runner had to get 20 stitches. After that Marks father wrote a letter to Ripley’s high school principal about the incident, and he also wrote a letter thanking Ripley.

Submitted by IzzyM23 on Tuesday, 04/17/2012 - 14:15.

Comment: That is crazy. He is awesome.. Not a lot of people would have just stood up a race to help somebody. I know I would of. Just to have that feeling that you helped or help somebody is amazing, I absolutely love that feeling.

Submitted by IzzyM23 on Tuesday, 04/17/2012 - 14:13.

Summary: Josh Ripley was doing cross country when he was a mile into his race when he saw another runner lying on the floor shrieking of pain. He got kicked by another runners spikes. He had a 3 inch gash. Riley saw him and ran towards Mark Paulauskas and picked him up. Mark had to get 20 stitches. After that marks father wrote a letter to ripleys high school principal about the incident, and he also wrote a letter thanking ripley.

Submitted by KennedyU on Monday, 04/02/2012 - 15:21.

“Ripley was a mile into his cross-country race and running hard when he saw a problem: another runner, lying hurt and bleeding from a 3-inch gash left by another runner's spikes.”
I think the main idea in this article is that it is worth the time to help someone in need, maybe giving up something that isn’t as worth it. Evidence: “Ripley veered over and scooped up the younger runner, carrying him half a mile to help in a snap decision that cost him any chance to win the race but drew praise for sportsmanship.” "I just knew I needed to help him, I think a lot of other runners would have too, if they had realized the situation. But they were really focused on their race.” "It showed a great deal of sportsmanship and kindness for a runner who was on a different team, to stop, and forget about his own race, to help him out.” I think this would’ve taken a lot of courage to give up a race that he’d been training for.