World Kindness Week: Watch 3 unforgettable sports moments that warmed our hearts
For World Kindness Week, USA TODAY is celebrating inspiring acts of kindness in sports, where compassion and teamwork shine on and off the field.
From a soccer fan helping his blind friend enjoy a game by narrating the action on the field to runners in the Boston Marathon helping injured fellow contestants reach the finish line, watch some heartwarming sport moments from this year.
Watch: Soccer fan helps blind friend enjoy a game
A visually impaired soccer fan got to experience a game in a unique way thanks to the kindness of his friend.
Juan David Perez traveled to the game between Atletico Bucaramanga and Millonarios F.C. in Santander, Colombia, in June with his friend, Marcos Otero Valero. When the match kicked off, Perez couldn't see what was happening but was able to follow all the action on field thanks to Otero, who traced the movement of the ball on his back while narrating the play-by-play action.
Perez devised the technique after struggling to experience the 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals, and the two friends now work together to promote inclusion at stadiums and in other aspects of daily life.
Video 2: Watch marathon runners help injured peers cross the finish line
True sportsmanship was on display at the Boston Marathon, earlier this year in April, as participants not only crossed the finish line amid applause and cheers, but also helped their injured peers do so by offering a shoulder to lean on and even carrying them.
Watch: Football team jumps with joy after a player’s sister wins Olympic gold
A routine football practice turned into a golden memory for a college football player.
Chreign LaFond was grinding through day four of training camp with the Navy while his sister, Thea LaFond, was thousands of miles away competing in the triple jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Midway through practice, his coach interrupted the session, announcing that LaFond won gold, becoming Dominica’s first Olympic medalist.
The whole team then erupted in cheers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Kindness Week: Watch 3 sports moments that warmed our hearts