Chandler Self was so close to finishing the Dallas Marathon, she could see the finish line. The 32-year-old psychiatrist from New York City was in the lead, but she collapsed in the final stretch. Thankfully, 17-year-old high school senior Ariana Luterman was running nearby and helped Self back to her feet. And she did it several times.
"Ariana, the 17-year-old high school student, was really trying to help me out," Self recalls. "I even tried to push her away but her heart was overcome with kindness and compassion for me that I think she was like, ‘I gotta help her.’"
Ariana was competing in the high school relay that morning and she grabbed Self and helped her regain her balance and start running again. And when Self fell again, the teen helped her back up again, eventually helping her fellow runner finish the marathon in first place.