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LINCOLNSHIRE, England — A group of 11-year-olds may have placed second in their final race as classmates, but they came out winners in the eyes of one of their special pals.
The boys — all students of Wrawby St Mary's C of E Primary School in England — had been classmates since they were small and will all be attending different middle schools in the fall, Today reports. So this final field day together was sure to be one to remember, especially when the boys came up with a plan to help their friend Rory Kettles — who has Down syndrome — go out with a bang.
"We didn't know about it until just before the race,'' headmaster Mariclare Potterton told Today. "The boys said, 'Rory is really important to us and we all care about him, so we want him to go out of the school a winner.'''
When the time came to run their last race, the boys immediately linked arms and set off in a slow jog, giving Rory the freedom to fly toward the finish line first. As soon as he crossed over to victory, the other boys ran together to meet him — cheering his name and celebrating his win.
One of the boy’s mothers recorded the touching race, which was especially meaningful for Rory’s mother. She wasn’t able to come to the field day because of work.
When she watched the video, Today reports, she was brought to tears.
"She said the compassion and care shown to her son and how he's been treated the same by everyone else has made her incredibly proud and touched by the children's gesture,'' Potterton said.
Rory’s mother wasn’t the only one inspired by the boys’ actions. Michelle Drury, who recorded the video, said everyone in attendance felt the power of that moment.
"There wasn't a dry eye among the teachers or the parents,'' Drury told Today. "It was important to them to give Rory that memory. … Even though we're keen to win, these boys have had it instilled in them that we put other people first. Sometimes that's more important than winning."
