In the middle of a high school cross country race, Seth Goldstein, a senior at Cooper Yeshiva High in Memphis, Tenn., stopped to save a rival runner’s life.

While on the second loop of the race, his chances of placing well were very likely. “I was feeling good,” said Goldstein. “That’s when everything happened in front of me.” A fellow competitor suddenly collapsed to the ground right in front of him, and while the other runners continued on, the 17-year-old decided that stopping to make sure the boy was okay was more important than keeping his stride. And thank goodness he did.

Seth, who was the only runner who stopped to help, said to KNOX News that “[The boy’s] lips were turning blue and his eyes were rolled back in his head. I was terrified. But then I thought to myself, freaking out isn’t going to help any here.”

Goldstein used his training as a lifeguard to jump into action. His first instinct was to call for help from parents on the sidelines, instructing them to call 911. But the situation had already escalated as the boy had begun vomiting blood.

“He had bitten his tongue and was bleeding pretty bad. I feared he was going to choke on his blood. I rolled him on his side so he wouldn’t asphyxiate.” After that, the boy began convulsing and having a seizure.

Soon after, the ambulance arrived and the EMTs took over.

Once he saw that the state of the boy was under control, Goldstein took everyone off guard by asking, “Can I finish the race?” This took the EMTs and the boy’s mother, Jessica Chandler, by surprise the most as they didn’t even know he was just another competitor.

“The EMTs looked at me kind of funny. They’re like, ‘You’re racing? Well, sure, go ahead. I guess you can finish the race.'” And finish the race he did. Although he had the slowest time out of any of the participants, he was greeted at the finish line with applause and congratulations.

The race didn’t turn out the way he had expected, but Seth Goldstein proved that finishing first is not always the best way to win. His heroic and selfless actions are the reason why a young boy still has his life.

image via Facebook.com