My best mile

[Sea Chicken]

My 10 year old daughter has run in the Capitol kids race in Boise the last two years. It is a one mile race from the old Boise depot to the State Capitol building. But last October she developed a mysterious neurological condition that severely limits her control of her right arm and leg. So she now wears a leg brace and walks with a limp. She's been seen by doctors here and specialists in San Francisco but they still haven't been able to come up with a diagnosis or treatment.

One of the goals she set in her physical therapy was to complete the race again this year. So Saturday morning while a couple thousand other kids were running in the race, she walked. I walked with her, holding her hand to keep her steady. It was difficult for her, but she did it. At one point she said to me "I don't care if it hurts, I just want to finish."

With about a quarter mile to go the BSU mascot came and held her other hand and the three of us finished the race -- dead last. As we approached the finish line family, volunteers and spectators were cheering, and crying. It was incredible.

I've completed three marathons in the past 13 months, but none of them even came close to the thrill of seeing my little girl walk that one mile. It takes a lot of guts to enter a race knowing that you will finish in last place.