Definition Of Heart

We always hear professional athletes throw around the word "warrior" when talking about themselves. Sometimes it is true because the player using that word has a lot of heart (Kevin Garnett), others use it loosely and should call themselves "paycheck collectors" (Shaquille O'Neal as of late).

The following video is tough to watch, but the girl that it involves is tough as nails. It is of the Ohio state high school cross country championship, and at the 1:39 mark you will see Berkshire high senior Claire Markwardt put on a display of heart like you have never seen (she is the blonde, and you cannot miss her after that mark... no need to watch the full 7 minutes):

Markwardt broke her tibia in multiple places and fibula in half right as she was about to cross the finish line. Unable to continue on two feet, she crawled the final 45 feet knowing that this was her last race in high school, and how much of an honor it was to be in the state championship.

Heart. Determination. Pride. Courage.

One of Markwardt's teammates, unaware of what had happened, encouraged her to get up. She tried, using her right leg. But as soon as she shifted weight to the left, the loudest crack yet came. And her leg gave out again.

"At that point, I knew what had happened. I knew my leg was broken pretty badly. And I knew I couldn't get up again. So I started crawling," she said.

She said she thought not of her coach, nor her parents, nor anyone else who had encouraged her to never give up, to see things to the finish. Instead, she thought of the countless stories she had heard about runners who collapsed before a race's end and somehow found the courage to cross that last line. Even if her leg had given out at the 400-meter mark, she said, it wouldn't have mattered. She was going to finish.

"They may not have let me, and it might not have been pretty, but I would have tried," she said.

"I had come so far. Our team had come so far. All season, we had been working for state, and now we were there. I was almost done, and there was no way I was going to let the team down."

It would have been so easy for her to roll over and cry in pain. But no, she wanted to finish what she started, not only for her but for her teammates.

Poor girl missed her sister's wedding that night in which she was the maid of honor. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she called her sister crying with an apology for not being there. Not necessary her sister said.

She will spend time on crutches and doing rehabilitation, and will be able to run again in six months.

Her mother suggested that she use a wheelchair to get around for her classes to which she replied:
"I haven't used the wheelchair since I was in the hospital that day. I'm fine on crutches. I'm not going to school in a wheelchair. I'm fighting that wheelchair off."

True warrior indeed.

You can read more on the story here.