10-Year-Old Jumps Out of Crowd to Support Her Struggling Mother Finish the Marathon

Courtney Rich, a mother of two, embarked on a marathon recently with determination to set a strong example for her children. But during her race, she faced some unexpected challenges and felt herself giving up. Right about then, her 10-year-old daughter Avery decided to intervene and help her mama out. The heartwarming video is the best thing we’ve watched all day.

The mom wanted to do it for her children.

Courtney Rich started her marathon journey in Salt Lake City with a goal to finish strong. She wanted her kids to witness her perseverance and the importance of not giving up, even when faced with difficulties. “I wanted them to see mom finish strong. Those are things I tell my kids as often as I can when things are hard, or they’re playing in their own sports,” the mom revealed.

She faced difficulties mid-way.

As the marathon progressed, the 40-year-old’s legs grew weary, and her dream of achieving a record time began to fade. At mile 24, she called her husband in tears, momentarily feeling disheartened by her struggles.

“My legs were just done. I could just feel them slowing down. By mile 24 ... I looked at my watch and that’s when I called my husband and was in tears, just having a little pity party for myself for a minute,” she revealed in an interview after the race.

Her daughter jumped from the crowd to help her.

In a heartwarming twist, Courtney’s daughter Avery unexpectedly joined her near the finish line. Avery took her mom’s hand and ran alongside her, that inspired Courtney to finish her race. This touching moment was captured on camera and shared on social media, quickly touching the hearts of millions.

“Next thing I knew, my daughter ran out. I kind of saw her out of the corner of my left eye and I realized it was Avery. I just put a huge smile on my face. I stuck out my hand, she grabbed it and all of a sudden, my legs that were hurting and the heaviness of my body just felt lighter, and we just ran to the finish line hand in hand,” she recalled the sweet moment that has gone viral.

Moms across the globe can’t get enough of the video.

Courtney says that her tears don’t stop when she watches the clip, and millions of others feel the same way.

“I watched this like 5 times, and it had me bawling! The most tender moment ever!!! Definitely something you’ll never forget!,” commented a mom on the video. “As a mom, this is so touching. What a special moment and proud mommy experience you won’t ever forget!” added another.

Another woman made headlines while she was running the marathon, but her reason was entirely different. Read her inspiring story here.