In life, there are times when winning a trophy doesn’t seem as sweet as the gratification you receive by supporting someone or merely being beside them when they need you.

Lance Corporal Myles Kerr was prepared to run the 5k at the Charlevoix Venetian Festival eight years ago. He made sure to get ready for the occasion. He even carried a bag and wore boots.

Therefore, it is only natural that everyone was expecting his finish and triumph. However, many minutes had already passed and he was nowhere to be seen.

For the young, stout, and robust Kerr, that is unusual. His teammates were therefore concerned. They speculated that he may have experienced something. He could have fallen or hurt himself.

They soon grew restless from having to wait and hurried back to the course to find out what had become of Kerr. They noticed Kerr approaching the finish line before they began.

Kerr chose to withdraw from the marathon in order to assist a kid.

Kerr reminisced: “He was walking when I ran by him,” Kerr recalled. “I looked at him and said, ‘Hey, little guy, you alright?’ And he said, ‘Will you run with me?’”

The marine learned that the little lad, only nine years old, was already having trouble catching up to his team. He was behind and had no idea what to do.

As a marine, Kerr had made a commitment to aiding others when they have difficulties. He agreed to go with the boy and encouraged him all the way through the race.

Kerr remained with the boy until they both crossed the finish line. Someone uploaded the racing photo of them to Facebook that evening.

The boy’s family also gave Kerr a $100 gift card to eat in a restaurant as a token of gratitude. Kerr promised to utilize it before flying back to California.

Kerr confided: “As a Marine, we try to reach out and help as much as we can. I don’t think I’m a hero. I was just trying to help.”