Young Runner Stops To Comfort Opponent At The Finish Line

A young runner at a cross country meet in Liverpool, New York is being recognized for his act of kindness.

The boy, Cooper Kohanski of Liverpool, was competing against other kids in the race, including Andrew Hawkinson from Baldwinsville.

Despite being direct competitors, when Cooper heard Andrew struggling at the finish line, he didn’t hesitate to run over and check on him!

The Liverpool TF/XC account tweeted about the act of kindness, saying:

“After our Modified Boys XC race, a Bville runner was winded. A Liverpool modified runner came to check on him to make sure he was ok! What a great act of kindness by this athlete!”

After our Modified Boys XC race, a Bville runner was winded. A Liverpool modified runner came to check on him to make sure he was ok! What a great act of kindness by this athlete! #KindnessMatters @Bville_Bees @LCSDAthletics pic.twitter.com/nE7ZYGXZNf

— Liverpool TF/XC (@LiverpoolTrack) September 29, 2022

Speaking with CNY Central, Cooper explained, “When I turned around, I heard a kid sobbing, which is common because it really does hurt so I wanted to make sure he was okay.”

Andrew told the news station, “[Cooper] said a lot of encouraging stuff. He said I did a good job [and] I would be okay because I was out of breath. I couldn’t really walk, I just needed to settle down. Once we got up we had a fist bump which I thought was pretty cool.”

Andrew’s mom was touched by the moment. She told the news station that she was surprised to see the kindness coming from someone on the other team. She said, “It just really fed my soul and I was just really impressed. I wouldn’t have expected somebody from the other team to check on him.”

It always pays off the be kind!