Kid at triathlon catches Private’s attention, what happens next is unexpected

 

Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don’t have that problem.” ― Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. President. 

 

 

The incident took place at the Pensacola Beach in Pensacola, Florida, at the yearly Triathlon. The triathlon is organized by the US Marine Corps and with the kids’ health and fitness being the main focus. Participants must be between the age of 7 to 15. The whole triathlon is organized by  a diverse team of  volunteers, and that’s where Matthew Morgan gets in the picture.

The event starts with the Gulf of Mexico, as it is  where the first part of swimming is covered. The latter two portions of cycling and running are continued on the closed roads and tracks near the shore. Matthew Morgan was volunteering for the event, with an assigned position around two miles from the final finish line.

He was recently enlisted in the US Marines Corps, as a Private First Class at Marine Detachment Corry Station. 

 It was a one year posting before any break. Mathew was part of the 22 students Captain Frank Anderson ordered to supervise and manage the triathlon as volunteers, they were to  supervise the participants and make sure they don’t stray away from tracks.

The time was here and Private Morgan was standing at the position where he was waiting for the participants to pass by. The kids were still completing the first phase of the triathlon, ie, swimming. This meant there was still time for them to arrive at the spot from where they’ll be visible to Pfc. Morgan. 

Eventually, the young kids started reaching the finish line one by one and it brought a smile on Morgan’s face. Everyone was cheering for the young athletes. Kids are overjoyed when they see their parents standing in the audience cheering for their little achievements. Completing the Triathlon and being among the first bunch of kids that crossed the finish line is one thing everyone feels proud of.

In this moment of joy, everyone was excited and  joyful. The kids who just crossed the finish line were celebrating  with their family while the rest of the parents were still waiting for their kids to finish the race. And as they say, “winning the race isn’t what matters the most, completing it does.” But there was one face in the audience that looked extremely worried. 

While all the others were eager to see their kids, one couple was extremely nervous and anxious. Some would’ve thought that they were just overprotective parents who worry too much about their kids. But this couple had their own valid reasons to be worried and everyone was about to realize that soon.

Pfc. Morgan was assigned the role of watching over the race and not to leave it unless he sees anyone breaking the rules. So, what happened that made him forget his orders? 

It was a particular boy that grabbed the young soldier’s attention, the boy slipped while running and fell on the ground. When Pfc. Morgan rushed to check on the boy, he noticed that there was something extremely wrong.

Ben Baltz, an 11-year-old, was lying on the floor and trying to fix his leg, “I made it there first and he had already regained his composure and was trying to fix his leg. I asked if he needed help,” recalled Private Morgan. The kid was quite certain about completing the triathlon, if it weren’t for the breaking of his prosthetic leg.

 

Ben had been on the tracks ever since he learned how to run. The boy had an incredible  passion for outdoor activities, this wasn’t the first time he was running in a triathlon. Life comes unexpectedly and sometimes the surprises it brings people are not cheerful at all, this was the case of little Ben, the boy who had cancer take his leg. 

Ben got bone cancer at the very young age of  6 and the doctors told him that they have to remove his right leg as it is affected by the cancer and there was no way to save it. His fibula and tibia were removed.

Ben’s parents have always been supportive of his hobbies and made sure nothing stopped him from doing what he loves. Once he got a mechanical knee and an artificial running leg, he got back to his sports life again. 

Ben’s performance was splendid at the Sea Turtle Triathlon, and before this, he had completed 2 other triathlons. He had successfully completed the 150-yard swim and the 4-mile bike ride. He already completed one mile of the race and was hardly one more mile away from the finish line, when the screw of the artificial limb unbalanced and resulted in a loose screw. It was in no way his fault and Private Morgan knew that Ben was not going to give up. Despite the pressure, he kept trying to fix his prosthetic leg so that he could finish the triathlon.

Ben said to the Marine, “No, I just want to finish the race.” In the meantime, Ben’s mother, Kim, was growing anxious about what was taking so long for Ben to cross the finish line. She later said, “It was only a mile, I knew he was tired, I was like, ‘Where is he, where is he, where is he?’” 

Private Morgan wanted to help the little guy but he couldn’t fix his artificial limb quickly enough, but he had to come up with something that would help Ben to the finish line, but was it okay with Ben? 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to turn around and look at what’s happening on the course,” announced the host of the triathlon. That’s when Ben’s mother turned around and saw her son, she was so overwhelmed she couldn’t stop her tears from falling.  

“It was just very touching that the Marines were there,” said Ben’s mom. However, it was one incredible moment, the Marines simply understood it as their responsibility. Captain Andersen said, “we are selfless as an institution in the Marine Corps, Putting others before ourselves is second nature.”

Other marines joined Private Morgan to cheer the boy. As Captain Anderson said, “It’s great to see what Marines do – not leave anybody behind – is exemplified in the youngest members of our institution.” But Ben wasn’t taking it well.

Mrs. Baltz told how embarrassed Ben felt when he wasn’t able to cross the finish line on his own. Ben’s mother went on to  explain :

“We want to give him the message that he can do anything, and he has an inspirational story,” said Ben’s mother, who knew that this was only the beginning of Ben’s struggles.

Private Morgan said about the little fighter, “as far as I’m concerned, he finished that race. As long as he knows he would have finished it and wanted to finish it, that’s all that matters.” They both taught each other something that day. 

And Ben mother had something to say too, “We just want him to get out there and participate in life.” Ben wants to be like the Marines someday. He heard of their generosity before but on that day he even got to experience it.

It seems these people don’t need any sort of publicity or credits for they call it their job. Doing one’s job correctly is a responsibility. Even Miles said, “As a Marine, we try to reach out and help as much as we can. I don’t think I’m a hero. I was just trying to help.”