Hector Picard lost his arms after being electrocuted while working on a transponder in the 90’s. Then, he got into endurance sports.
Since becoming a double amputee, he has completed over 150 triathlons, including the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona last year.
On Monday, he ran the Boston Marathon for the first time, finishing in 6 hours, 1 minute, and 43 seconds.
But, Boston wasn’t about adding to his racing resume. It was about earning a medal for his new friend, Anna Kitada, a 12-year-old who is fighting bone cancer. That’s why as he made his way through the 26.2 miles, he carried a picture of Kitada around his neck.
The two met for the first time just days before the race at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, R.I. A day after Picard crossed the finish line, he returned to the hospital and presented Kitada, who had her leg amputated years ago, with his finisher’s medal.
“It’s a lot heavier than I expected it to be,” Kitada told Turnto10. “I’m going to hang it on my wall.”
She also said, “He did it, so I know that I can do it.”
And, that’s the point. Picard handed his medal over to Kitada thanking that maybe she’ll cross her own finish line someday, and pass a medal along to someone else. Hope. It’s worth spreading.
Here’s video from the medal ceremony thanks to Turnto10:
