Race brings change

I would like to take time to look back at last weekend’s Race for the Cure (Sept. 16).

Thousands of people from all over New England came down to Bangor’s Waterfront to run and walk for a cause, not for prizes or trophies. This race was the complete opposite, a cause, to donate money for the hope to find a cure, the cure for breast cancer.

Being a member of the Nike World Campus, Prototype Fieldtesting Team, I look forward to the weekend road races to keep me in shape and to test my personal limits. While running this race I was moved and changed; changed emotionally and spiritually forever. From the amount of walkers and runners topping out in the 3,500 range, to the singing of “God Bless America” at the start, to the unidentified lady who passed me an American flag during the race (which I ran with and held high throughout the race). This race I realized, and sure that many people also did that day, that it is not important who won or what place or time any ONE person finished. In this race, everyone was a winner.

When I was at work the night after the race, I noticed a table of four walkers with the race shirts on. I simply asked who they walked for (in mind thinking a company team), when the lady started listing off dozens of people and, teary-eyed, holding back from totally breaking down, I hugged the lady and thanked her. When she asked me how I did, I didn’t tell her I was the runner that won the race, just that she should be proud because, as I learned that morning, everyone can make a difference. I would like to thank the lady who passed me that flag during the race and God Bless America!

Phil LeBreton Jr.

Bangor

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