A Father in the Stands

The 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Derek Redmond, British sprinter, had spent his entire life preparing for this moment — the 400-meter semifinal. Forty-three seconds into the race, a sharp crack echoed across the stadium. His hamstring had torn. He fell hard to the track.

But Redmond got up.

Fighting back tears, he hobbled forward, leg buckling with every step. The other runners had long crossed the finish line. The crowd of 65,000 watched in stunned silence. Then a man pushed past security guards and ran onto the track. It was Jim Redmond, Derek's father.

"You don't have to do this," Jim told his son.