West Fork freshman Paul Scott and 4th-grader Rebel Hays have been running cross-country together as a team this season. Scott is blind and Hays is his guide runner. “He inspires me to run faster,” says Scott.
Hays studies at Holcomb Elementary School in Fayetteville and his mother says that he loves to run and help others and when West Fork wanted volunteers, Scott immediately jumped at the idea.
Hays competes with high schoolers, and that’s why he has to practice every day, “If I don’t run this distance, it’s like I’m cheating on Paul. I can’t cheat on Paul so, I have to run this distance, or this time no matter what,” says Hays.
The duo use a rope to run the cross-country courses and started with the two-mile races but now they’re doing 5ks and soon hope to run a 5k in 20 minutes or less. “I’ll admit it’s pretty hard, but it’s all for Paul. I have to do it for Paul,” says Hays.
What an inspiration these two are not only for aspiring athletes but for all those who are going through the same situation.
