- I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH.
DURING HER FINAL CROSS-COUNTRY MEET OF THE SEASON,
OUR NEXT GUEST ENDED HER RACE EARLY
TO HELP AN INJURED RUNNER FROM A RIVAL HIGH SCHOOL.
SHE WALKED 1/4 OF A MILE
WITH HER COMPETITOR ON HER BACK
UNTIL SHE WAS ABLE TO FIND HELP.
TO ME, THAT IS WINNING THE RACE.
FROM NORTH DAKOTA,
PLEASE WELCOME MELANIE BAILEY AND THE RUNNER SHE HELPED,
DANIELLE LENOUE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
AREN'T YOU JUST AN AMAZING YOUNG WOMAN.
I MEAN, I JUST THINK THAT YOU'RE SO COOL--WHAT YOU DID.
EXPLAIN--
IT WAS A 2.4-MILE RACE, RIGHT?
- YEAH. - OKAY.
AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER AT ALL.
both: NO. - NEVER MET.
- NEVER MET.
- AND YOU'RE RUNNING A RACE, AND...
- UM... [both chuckle]
WE WERE A LITTLE PAST THE 2-MILE MARK,
AND I NOTICED DANIELLE, AND SHE WAS CRYING REALLY HARD.
AND I'VE SEEN PEOPLE CRY FROM STRAINED MUSCLES--
- WAIT, LET'S EXPLAIN.
IT WAS, LIKE, NOT ON A ROAD OR ANYTHING.
IT WAS, LIKE, KIND OF A TRAIL IN THE WOODS OR SOMETHING?
- IT'S A GOLF COURSE. WE RUN ON A GOLF COURSE.
AND WHERE WE WERE AT WAS BEHIND, LIKE, A BIG ROW OF TREES.
IT'S KIND OF WHERE I FELL, WAS BEHIND WHERE NO ONE--
NO ONE COULD SEE ME. - NO ONE COULD SEE YOU.
- NO. - MM-MM.
- WELL, I GUESS WE SHOULD--
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU EXACTLY?
- JUST RUNNING, AND THE RACE WAS DOING PRETTY GOOD.
AND I FELT A POP IN MY KNEE,
AND I FELL TO THE GROUND, AND I COULDN'T GET BACK UP.
MY KNEE HURT REALLY BAD.
AND ABOUT 50 PEOPLE HAD PASSED ME,
KEPT RUNNING, AND I'M JUST SITTING THERE--
- WAIT, YOU WERE CRYING OUT, AND EVERYONE JUST KEPT GOING?
DID THEY GLANCE AT YOU?
- YEAH. [laughing]
YEAH.
THEY KIND OF LOOKED AT ME,
AND I WAS JUST LIKE, "GOOD JOB."
AND I'M JUST LAYING ON THE GROUND.
AND--YEAH.
AND THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, MELANIE CAME
AND PICKED ME UP, AND-- CRAZY.
- SO YOU JUST--DID YOU THINK ABOUT RUNNING PAST?
DID YOU RUN PAST AND THEN GO BACK,
OR DID YOU STOP RIGHT AWAY?
- I JUST STOPPED RIGHT AWAY.
I MEAN, SHE WAS CRYING REALLY HARD.
SHE NEEDED HELP, AND I COULDN'T JUST LEAVE HER THERE.
SHE NEEDED HELP. - GOOD FOR YOU.
- YES.
[cheers and applause]
- YEAH.
ALL RIGHT, SO THEN DID YOU THINK,
"OH, I'LL JUST HELP HER UP?"
I MEAN, YOU OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T THINK,
"I'M GONNA PUT HER ON MY BACK AND CARRY HER."
- NO, I PUT HER ARM AROUND MY SHOULDERS
AND TRIED TO GET SOME WEIGHT OFF OF HER LEG AT FIRST,
BUT WE DIDN'T GET VERY FAR.
- YEAH, BECAUSE WHAT HAD--
THE PATELLA, IS THAT--
- YEAH, I TORE THE PATELLA TENDON RIGHT HERE.
IT'S THE ONE THAT RUNS ACROSS YOUR KNEECAP, SO...
- OKAY, SO YOU COULDN'T HOLD HER UP, AND THEN...
- I JUST STOOD IN FRONT OF HER AND TOLD HER TO GET ON MY BACK.
AND SHE STARTED SLIDING OFF,
'CAUSE SHE COULDN'T REALLY LATCH ON.
- NO. - SHE WAS IN A LOT OF PAIN.
[both laugh]
- I WAS TRYING TO HOLD MY KNEE
AT THE SAME TIME AS HOLDING ON TO HER,
AND I'M TRYING TO CHOKE HER, AND...
[both laugh] - OH, MY GOD.
- AND I CARRIED HER FOR ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE,
AND THEN MEDICAL HELP CAME ONTO THE FIELD,
AND I PUT HER ON A GOLF CART.
- YOU CARRIED HER FOR A QUARTER--
I MEAN, LOOK AT THE PAIN YOU'RE IN
HOLDING YOUR KNEE LIKE THAT.
- YEAH. - THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE.
ALL RIGHT, SO YOU FINISHED THE RACE.
ONCE SHE GOT HELP, YOU THEN GOT BACK INTO THE--
THAT SLOWED YOU DOWN A BIT.
- JUST-- - A LITTLE BIT.
[both laugh]
- SO HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THE RACE?
- I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 180 PEOPLE.
- AND WHAT DID YOU COME IN?
- 178TH.
I WASN'T LAST.
- WHOEVER CAME IN LAST--
I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY--
- YES, I KNOW.
[laughter]
- THAT'S REALLY--THEY DIDN'T STOP AND HELP ANYBODY.
- NO, THEY JUST...
- SO YOU CAME IN 178TH.
SO I JUST THINK YOU'RE AMAZING.
YOU'RE AN INCREDIBLE AND AN INSPIRING--
AND I WISH MORE PEOPLE--
I CAN'T BELIEVE 50 PEOPLE PASSED YOU UP, DANIELLE.
- [laughs] - ALL RIGHT.
I GOT YOU SOMETHING, MELANIE,
BECAUSE YOU WON--YOU WON--
YOU CAME IN 178TH.
- WHOO! [laughs]
[applause]
- AND IT SAYS--
YEAH, IT SAYS SHE CAME IN 178TH, SO...
- I LOVE IT. [laughs]
- SO THAT'S FOR YOU. - WOW. THANK YOU.
- AND THEN EACH OF YOU...
- OH, MY GOSH.
- ARE GONNA GET A SEVEN-NIGHT SUPER-INCLUSIVE STAY
AT BREEZES RESORT & SPA IN THE BAHAMAS.
[both scream] - OH, MY GOSH.
[cheers and applause]
- WHITE BEACHES, WATER ACTIVITIES,
A RELAXING SPA TREATMENT FOR TWO.
- [laughs] [mic echoes loudly]
[laughter] - AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FUN.
AND IF YOU NOTICE THE TOP,
YOU'RE CARRYING HER ALSO THERE, SO...
[laughter]