In a small town in Arkansas, a visually-impaired runner and 4th-grader are bonded by more than just a rope. Their friendship, based on trust and commitment, is proving that victory is found in trusting your fellow human.
The duo of West Fork high school freshman, Paul Scott, and 4th-grade guide, Rebel Hays, began with 2-mile runs. It’s now grown to 5K races, demonstrating an admirable dedication to the joy of fitness and the gift of friendship.
As the video
says, “two boys are running their hearts out and they’re doing it together. All Rebel and Paul need are a short rope and race to run.”
Paul is a high school freshman with a passion for cross-country running, because in
Paul’s words, it “allows you to get out of your limits of your comfort zone.” But Paul’s visual impairment makes it unsafe for him to run without a guide. Still, he shares, “I don’t really have any limits, because I think anyone can do it.”
Young Fast 4th-Grader Guides Cross-Country Teen
Paul’s teammate, Rebel, though much younger and smaller, offers big support as Paul’s guide. Decked in a fluorescent running shirt emblazoned with the all-caps title ‘Guide Runner,” Rebel shares a handled tether between the two youth. Rebel physically charts the course ahead for Paul.
Paul’s mom
admits, “we’ve never had anyone who was younger than the runners. So my first reaction was, this kid’s tiny! Sorry, Rebel! But, then...I saw him run, and I was like, whoooaaa. He’s amazing.”
In fact, Rebel
earned the title “Fastest Kid in Fayetteville” for his age group. So he stepped up his goal...by responding to West Fork’s need for a running guide. Rebel had competed in a West Fork fun run and was excited to volunteer.
Rebel’s mom, LouAnn Hays
shares, “My son wanted to help, and wants to do it, and I’m like, oh my gosh. And the first time you ever see them, you cry. You cry. You do.”
You see what she means when you watch this duo using just a rope to navigate a crowded course at full speed.
On a shared Zoom call, Paul and Rebel’s moms confess that neither were sure if Rebel could guide a runner of Paul’s stature and speed. But they all agree that worry was short-lived, because in Paul’s mom’s words, Rebel is “always saying, c’mon Paul, run faster!”
The bond between these boys goes so much farther than the short rope they share. Learning to count on each other to grow stronger has taught them both that going the distance for one another is the reward within any race.
Their remarkable friendship has formed not only unbreakable trust, but a story that teaches us to give people a chance. It highlights the truth that helping feels great...and that having faith in one another can achieve what only seems impossible.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”
Hebrews 12:1
