BATESVILLE, Ark. (KAIT) – Crossing the finish line is the moment runners dream about. This is what a father thought he was filming. Instead, he captured a more important moment.

Robert Montgomery captured the moment his daughter Kaylee stopped to help another fallen runner on the final stretch of a race.

Kaylee was running the final race of her high school career and was in the home stretch when she saw another student on the ground.

“As soon as I saw her, I thought: I can’t leave her like before, I have to help her,” she said.

Montgomery was trying to finish at her personal best, but that was the last thing on her mind as she helped Julia, a runner whose legs gave out just before the finish line.

“I told my parents afterward that Jesus wouldn’t pass by me if I fell and couldn’t get up, and that He would pick me up,” she said.

Montgomery took Julia by the arm and helped her cross the finish line. Montgomery said that although both were tired, she knew exactly how they would cross the finish line.

“I kept saying, Lord, give him strength, and then I was encouraging him, you got this, you can go through with this. We’re almost there, just a little longer,” she said.

Her father captured the moment, he said he expected his daughter to cross the finish line for the last time.

“There are people who do incredible things every day that just don’t get caught on camera. This just happened. I just have to be lucky enough to catch this. And of course, she’s younger, which makes her special. She’s also my daughter, which makes her special to me. But I think I just realize that there are a lot of people who do great things for other people, and this is just one of those,” he said.

Her coach Stan Fowler watched as she helped Julia. He said the moment brought tears to his eyes.

“That says a lot about what competition really is. You know, you have, you know, winners and losers, but this is a winner. I don’t care where you ended up; she was a winner,” he said.

Her father posted the video on TikTok and it has been viewed more than 300,000 times. Montgomery said she will remember the race forever, but she said the moment wasn’t about her.

“Not that it was me, who could have helped him, but I am showing the light of Jesus and how he helped me, to show it through my own actions, helping someone else.”

Fowler said since the video went viral, Montgomery has received several scholarship offers.

In a statement, Julia, the student Kaylee helped, said:

“I had one of my best seasons this year and was hoping to finish it strong with the state championship. I’ve been in the top ten for the last two years, and that was my goal again this year. I was on track to achieve this goal by the second mile, but I started to feel lactic acid building up in my legs. This has never happened to me before. I slowed down, but eventually my legs gave out and I couldn’t stand. That’s when Kaylee arrived. I really appreciate her helping me cross the finish line. I didn’t mind being disqualified. I was just happy to be able to receive medical attention and recover! Kaylee was truly selfless in helping me get up. She gave up a higher place in the state during her senior year! She really shows the great team spirit in Arkansas cross country.

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